Three London Turkish men have been convicted over a £12,500 cash burglary, including a man named in police intelligence reports about the Hackney Bombers gang. Altan Tezcan, 37, and Engin Timur, 35, both from Hackney, plus Bektas Gurgur, 40, of Stamford Road, Tottenham, were part of a four-man crew, including Curtis Smith, 22, from Devon, who burgled a house in Plymouth in February 2024.
Smith and Tezcan were jailed for eight-and-a-half years at Plymouth Crown Court on Friday (June 13) after pleading guilty to aggravated burglary, while Gurgur was locked up for 13 years after being convicted by a jury of the same offence. Timur also admitted aggravated burglary but will be sentenced at a later date.
During his trial, jurors heard Gurgur was previously jailed for 11 years for aggravated burglary at Snaresbrook Crown Court in 2012. That time, Gurgur was one of three men who entered a property, where a firearm was discharged, a person was stabbed and money stolen, the court was told.
Met Police intelligence reports, released into the National Archives under the Jermaine Baker Inquiry, also show Gurgur was said to be present at E5 Social Club, identified by police as a Hackney Bombacilar (Bombers) gang venue, when it was sprayed with machine gun fire from a Croatian sub-machine gun in March 2009.
The Hackney Bombers have been in a violent feud with local rivals the Tottenham Turks for around 16 years, both having played a large role in London’s heroin trade. When a nine-year-old girl was caught in the crossfire of a shooting in Dalston last year, it’s believed the bullets were intended for a man who told The Times he wished it had been him.
Burglars assaulted victims
Video Unavailable
On the night of the burglary, Gurgur, Smith, and Tezcan forced their way into the victim’s home while their two children were upstairs after being driven to the address by Timur. Doorbell camera footage showed the men making threats as they stormed the house. The occupant and a friend were hit and kicked repeatedly whilst the three burglars demanded to know where the victim’s money was.
Smith was carrying a knife and Tezcan the imitation firearm, while Gurgur was said to have searched the house and issued orders. All three defendants assaulted the victims, police say, stealing £12,500 in cash and a number of keys from the house before fleeing the area in a car. The money was never retrieved.
CCTV from a nearby shop showed a BMW X3 in the area at the time and the police investigation showed the vehicle travelled to Plymouth from London before the attack, returning immediately after.
A joint operation between Devon and Cornwall Police and the Metropolitan Police resulted in four firearms warrants being executed. Tezcan and Timur were arrested in London, Smith was arrested in Plymouth, and Gurgur remained at large for several months before his arrest.
‘This was organised crime’
Sentencing the three, Judge Robert Linford said the victims would have been ‘absolutely terrified’, noting there were children in the house at the time and threats to shoot had been made during the violence. Judge Linford added: “Offences like these do not occur on spur of the moment. This was a significantly planned burglary. You burgled, you stole, you left and three of you went back to London.”
Detective Constable Lee Sheldon said: “This was a violent incident of aggravated burglary, where three men entered a family home with an imitation handgun while a fourth man laid in waiting as the getaway driver. This was organised crime with three of the defendants; Gurgur, Tezcan and Timur, making an eight-hour round trip from London to Plymouth to commit the offence.
Deputy Senior Investigating Officer Detective Sergeant Paula Smith said: “I wish to thank the victims in this case and their families for their bravery in supporting the prosecution and giving crucial testimony at court. I hope that these convictions provide reassurance to the victims in this case and send a clear message that such violence will not be tolerated.”
Got a tip, a court date, or some gossip? Please email [email protected] or WhatsApp 07580255582.
Don’t miss out on the latest crime stories from across London. Sign up to MyLondon’s Court & Crime newsletter HERE.
