Bogus police hijack van in £400k raid near Heathrow
11:20am Friday 13th November 2009 in News By Paul Teed
Bogus police hijack van in £400k raid
Armed robbers disguised as police officers hijacked a van carrying £400,000 worth of computer equipment.
The bogus cops set up a checkpoint in Stanwell Road, Feltham, where they flagged down the silver Ford Transit, before suddenly spraying the driver and passenger with CS gas and bundling them out the vehicle.
Police said one of the bandits was believed to be armed with a taser gun.
Four robbers - including two wearing traffic officer caps and high visibility jackets - drove the shipment to Stanwell Moor, Staines, where they unloaded the high-value kit and dumped the van.
Detective Sergeant Ian Wilson, of the Metropolitan Police's Operation Grafton, said: "This was a well-organised and targeted attack aimed at a specific vehicle that the robbers knew would be carrying a high-value consignment.
"These criminals were not afraid to use violence to carry out the robbery and the experience has left the driver and his passenger very shaken.”
Police believe the hijackers used a dark BMW 5 series and a dark Audi A4 saloon as gettaway cars.
Det Sgt Wilson appealed for anyone who saw the robbers setting up the traffic checkpoint or stopping the van near the junction with the A30 to come forward.
Anyone with information about the ambush at 11.18pm on Monday should contact Operation Grafton on 020 8246 9972, or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
