A group of men responsible for a series of high-value vehicle thefts across Lancashire has been sentenced after police used self-recorded mobile phone footage to help secure convictions.
A Coordinated Burglary Spree
The investigation centered on Hamza Ghafoor, 22, and five other men who traveled from Bradford to Lancashire to carry out a coordinated burglary spree between September and November 2023. The group targeted residential properties, stealing luxury vehicles valued as high as £79,000 and driving them away in convoy at high speed.
Caught by His Own Camera
Police say the case was significantly strengthened by footage recorded on Ghafoor’s own phone. In the video, he’s seen wearing a balaclava, suggesting plans to commit a burglary, before later filming himself driving a stolen BMW. Investigators recovered that footage and used it as key evidence at trial.
The gang first came to officers’ attention following a burglary at a property in Langho, where two BMWs were stolen. Telephone data linked Ghafoor to the crime, along with Mohammed Zubhir, 24, and Dylan Shuttleworth, 18. Further analysis connected the wider group to nine burglaries spanning Pendle, Blackburn, the Ribble Valley, Hyndburn, and Chorley.
What Was Stolen
The stolen vehicles included a BMW X3 valued at £79,000, a £35,000 Volkswagen Tiguan, an Audi Q5, an Audi Q3, a Volkswagen Golf, and a Mercedes CLA 45. Police described the crimes as organized and deliberate, targeting desirable vehicles straight from residential driveways.
When officers arrested Ghafoor, a search of his bedroom turned up a Louis Vuitton bag containing 926 wraps of crack cocaine and 319 wraps of heroin, adding an additional layer of seriousness to the case against him.
Sentencing
Lancashire Police later released the recovered footage publicly, crediting the recordings as central to identifying and convicting those involved. Ghafoor, Zubhir, Kamran Ahmed (23), Denzel Muduma (20), and Jordan May (23) were sentenced to a combined total of more than 15 years in prison. Shuttleworth, the youngest of the group, received a 12-month youth referral order.
All parties are innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.