Operation Choppa was an investigation into high-value bike thefts in the Kingston area.

There were a total of 7 defendants who were charged & convicted with 2 offences of conspiracy to commit theft and burglary, contrary to the Theft Act 1968.

Between 1st March – 31st December 2023, the group conspired to locate, steal and fence valuable bikes with a combined value in excess of £70,000.

The indictment focused on 42 specific occasions when the conspirators sought out and stole bikes from various addresses.

The evidence was rooted in voluminous cell site data, showing the defendants making calls to one other at the time of the burglaries or in calling taxi companies to arrange transportation of the stolen property, as well as CCTV capturing some of the thefts.

As a result of enquiries, the Metropolitan Police were able to identify a Facebook account run under a pseudonym offering many of the stolen bikes for sale. Subscriber data for the account was obtained, properties were then raided and arrests were made. Following the arrests and subsequent prosecutions, statistics suggest that the crime rate in the local area dropped by around 40%.

Emily and Matthew were instructed by Dean Jones of the Crown Prosecution Service