VIDEO: Inside Britain’s Moped Crime Gangs

BBC Three has delved deep into the British underworld, spending time with some of London’s moped gangs.

Click HERE to watch Inside Britain’s Moped Crime Gangs

The thieves use mopeds to sneak up on members of the public and getaway quickly from the scene of a crime. Last year in London, over 14,000 motorcycles and scooters were reported stolen – which means that on average, 65 bikes were stolen each day in the capital. And over 23,000 crimes were committed using the motorcycles and scooters that were stolen – which translates to a shocking 163% rise on the previous year.

Reporter Livvy Haydock spent time with three different moped thieves in the capital city – riding pillion with a thief who points out which members of the public make good targets and which ones are protecting themselves. She also accompanies an armed robber as he scouts jewellers in Notting Hill, and she also helps one thief, who boasts about being a good race car driver, to quit crime by giving him a chance to impress in a Formula Renault test session. She also learns about the phone security hacking involved in making the thefts profitable. One thief is filmed selling five of the latest smartphones, all robbed within one afternoon, for £150-£250 each when the normal price on the black market is £30-40 per phone. This higher price is because the thief’s buyer is able to recycle the phones abroad without any loss of functionality.