A 22-year-old man from Haverstock Road, NW5, has been sentenced to 11 years and six months in prison for preying on gay men to steal from them.
Reda Zahri pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, one count of false imprisonment, and one count of attempting to commit robbery involving three different men.
Zahri would strike up conversations with gay men to gain their trust before targeting them for their belongings.
He would engage in sexual activity with them and then steal items, often without the victim realizing, before leaving. In one instance, he stole over £25,000 from a victim using a suitcase.
Detectives were able to track Zahri down after he stole items from a man he met in Camden. The victim provided Zahri's Instagram handle to the police, leading to his arrest on May 12, 2022.
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Despite initially claiming to be 17 years old, detectives suspected Zahri was older and traced a link to Germany where he had been before coming to the UK.
Detective Constable Nigel Pacquette from the Safeguarding Team at Charing Cross Police Station led the investigation.
He emphasized that all three of Zahri's victims were gay men, indicating he targeted members of the gay community. Pacquette urged other potential victims to come forward, reassuring them that the police would thoroughly investigate any allegations.
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