Moment two masked burglars raid London tech shop - by using power tools to cut through shutters

2023-08-25 5

This is the moment two masked burglars raided a London tech shop - using power tools to cut through the metal shutters.

Detectives are probing the crime, which took place at around 3am in Finchley last week (18/8).

Veteran shop owner Abdul Idrissi, 40, believes the attack was targeted and pre-planned.

The thieves made off with games consoles, mobile phones and MacBook laptops, he said.

And Abdul - who has run the Exchange since 1999 - added that he now feels unsafe in the capital.

He said: "I am really distraught, I am born and raised in London but I don't feel safe.

"I feel like the way things are, especially with what happened, the city feels unsafe.

"At the moment we are still going through the stock to see what has gone but we they literally stole everything within four minutes.

"They stole gaming consoles, MacBooks, phones and gaming computers."

CCTV shows two masked burglars arriving on a moped outside the shop, which is on Finchley's High Road.

They then use a circular saw to cut through the shutter, before smashing the glass door.

They then flee after raiding the shop.

Abdul believes the attack was pre-planned - as it happened eight years to the day his shop last got broken into.

The shopkeeper said they are still assessing the aftermath but he has struggled to reopen since.

Abdul said: "The bike the men were on was reflecting on the camera.

"They must have had something on the plate that doesn't allow cameras to read the plate.

"I was broken when I got there, really shocked and very heartbroken.

"I got the call when I was sleeping, I looked at the cameras and saw the shop being broken into."

The Metropolitan Police said: "Police were called at 03:05hrs on Thursday, 18 August to reports of a burglary at a shop on East Finchley High Road, N2.

"The suspects are believed to have fled on a moped.

"Detectives are carrying out a number of enquiries including a review of local CCTV.

"There have been no arrests.

"Anyone with information is asked to call police via 101 quoting reference CAD 778/18Aug."