BBC Documentary - Hunting the Rolex Rippers

[BNA/LION]

This looks like an interesting report on The British Broadcasting Network.

Hunting the Rolex Rippers: airs Tuesday 5 December 2023 at 9:00pm on BBC Three

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001t575

More and more luxury watches are being snatched off UK streets. In 2022, there was an estimated 60 per cent increase in watch thefts worldwide. It is now the crime of choice for many criminals, seen as easier and more lucrative than drug dealing.

In this documentary, journalist Tir Dhondy gets access, for the first time ever, to the gang members behind the crime. She meets the teenage moped riders snatching watches off the street, as well as a gang leader who runs a team of teenage watch rippers and female watch spotters. Tir also comes face-to-face with the 16-year-old who used a machete to steal singer Aled Jones’ £17,000 Rolex in broad daylight.

[Halifax Daytona UK]

The BBC is known for these types of documentaries. Personally there is a lot of poetic license ,

[colpol]

Just saw this flash up this morning. Will have a watch tonight. £50m in watch thefts in 2022 said in trailer
One for the UK guys to watch if interested




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[-Ally-]

Originally Posted by Halifax Daytona UK

The BBC is known for these types of documentaries. Personally there is a lot of poetic license ,

Also, expect short shrift on the demographics of the perps.

[996marty]

Begs the question if they got access to the people doing it then why can’t these scum get picked up by the police……or maybe they have

[ninjin]

I live in London and have seen it first hand. The kids don't care, too young to value life. They don't realise they are just cannon fodder... only making their upmen get richer.

The people doing the crime (actual theft) do get picked up..... But there are many more waiting to take their place. If there is a demand, there will be someone willing to do it.

Before it was on mopeds/scooters which had to use the road, police started to run them off the road... Now they are on modded mountain E-bikes with delimited top speeds. These can go anywhere. Police haven't a chance.

TBH, there is nothing that I don't already know in the documentary... and that's why I am extremely careful where I wear my watches.

[chris242]

Ridiculous! How can police not have a chance because of e-bikes. Police need to step it up and stop complaining about bicycles. Time to modernize a bit, maybe they need their own e-bike squad


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[kkqd1337]

Bottom line. Gangs steal watches.

[Speedbird-1]

Interesting.


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67608184

[-Ally-]

Originally Posted by colpol

Just saw this flash up this morning. Will have a watch tonight. £50m in watch thefts in 2022 said in trailer
One for the UK guys to watch if interested

London is lost.

[Number3]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-67608184

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episod...-rolex-rippers

[Roddypeepa]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001t575

If you’re outside the UK you’ll need a VPN

This is why this country is going to the dogs. No consequences for most. Not good enough.

And, to be fair, backs up what Paul Thorpe has been trying to get across for years.


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[enjoythemusic]

Thx Larry for the heads up, much appreciated. The below was just posted 20 minutes ago on YouTube:

[Driver8]

I think this could end up being an IBTL thread.

[Flyer737]

Just watched it, although not too pleasant to watch, not sure it didn't tell me much I didn't already know. There needs to be much stronger prosecution and policing on the streets of the various cities affected by this epidemic....

[thesharkfactor]

Originally Posted by Roddypeepa

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001t575

If you’re outside the UK you’ll need a VPN

This is why this country is going to the dogs. No consequences for most. Not good enough.

And, to be fair, backs up what Paul Thorpe has been trying to get across for years.


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Really would not surprise me if that guy had his own team of rippers. Afterall, he would warn us about fakes while his son was selling them (reference his son being convicted of selling/ripping folk off for £650,000 of counterfeit Rolex, I bet the actual figure was higher).

[inadeje]

I could be doing something wrong but even with my VPN showing London England it says I need an account?

As for Paul Thorpe, where do I start? As mentioned above there’s the issue of his convicted son. Then there’s the recent support and youtube promotion of Anthony Farrer. Wildly, he then deletes the 10s of videos in which he gloated and advocated Anthony Farrer like nothing happened. Finally, there’s the post-arrest of AF and Thorpes “I didn’t know” when during the first videos Anthony Farrer was on parole touting an ankle bracelet…I mean you can’t make this s*** up.

[Number3]

Originally Posted by inadeje

As for Paul Thorpe, where do I start? As mentioned above there’s the issue of his convicted son. Then there’s the recent support and youtube promotion of Anthony Farrer. Wildly, he then deletes the 10s of videos in which he gloated and advocated Anthony Farrer like nothing happened. Finally, there’s the post-arrest of AF and Thorpes “I didn’t know” when during the first videos Anthony Farrer was on parole touting an ankle bracelet…I mean you can’t make this s*** up.

Agreed. Thorpe is shady as hell.

[Number3]

Originally Posted by thesharkfactor

Really would not surprise me if that guy had his own team of rippers. Afterall, he would warn us about fakes while his son was selling them (reference his son being convicted of selling/ripping folk off for £650,000 of counterfeit Rolex, I bet the actual figure was higher).

It’s inconceivable to me that he didn’t know. The apple rarely falls far from the tree!

[brandrea]

The better approach would be to provide free Rolex watches at birth for every UK citizen. No need to steal them any more.

[Rolexken]

[QUOTE=inadeje;13050648]I could be doing something wrong but even with my VPN showing London England it says I need an account?


Yes you do need to open an account to access IPlayer, and say yes when asked if you have a tv license

[Calatrava r]

Certain cities around the world are having a lot of organized watch theft. It is not random be well organized. Sad part of it and what drives the theft is that there is a hot market for the stolen watches. How you end this is dry up the market for stolen watches. From most reports, watches stolen in European cities end up in the third world markets. So, stemming the demand will not be an easy task. But they have to be transported and that is a place to start.

[BNA/LION]

Originally Posted by enjoythemusic

Thx Larry for the heads up, much appreciated. The below was just posted 20 minutes ago on YouTube:

Thanks!

[Polarexplorerii]

Originally Posted by thesharkfactor

Really would not surprise me if that guy had his own team of rippers. Afterall, he would warn us about fakes while his son was selling them (reference his son being convicted of selling/ripping folk off for £650,000 of counterfeit Rolex, I bet the actual figure was higher).

Wait what? His son was selling fakes?

[Airkingchnr]

Originally Posted by Polarexplorerii

Wait what? His son was selling fakes?

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/1603...rolex-watches/

If you do a search...

[Watchdoyouwant?]

Originally Posted by ninjin

I live in London and have seen it first hand. The kids don't care, too young to value life. They don't realise they are just cannon fodder... only making their upmen get richer.

The people doing the crime (actual theft) do get picked up..... But there are many more waiting to take their place. If there is a demand, there will be someone willing to do it.

Before it was on mopeds/scooters which had to use the road, police started to run them off the road... Now they are on modded mountain E-bikes with delimited top speeds. These can go anywhere. Police haven't a chance.

TBH, there is nothing that I don't already know in the documentary... and that's why I am extremely careful where I wear my watches.

So do you wear your watches out and about? I think in a lot of places conspicuous displays of wealth makes a person a target, but I also know documentaries/media tend to exaggerate the risk.

Not being a London native, it's hard for me to evaluate the true danger.

[thesharkfactor]

Originally Posted by Polarexplorerii

Wait what? His son was selling fakes?

…and his dad knew nothing of it. Yeah right..

[subcsteve]

any person that feels the need to tell you every 5 mins just how honest they are in every interaction sets the alarm bells ringing imo.....steer clear.

[Al1969]

If only the Rolex Rippers were actually being hunted, then it may stop.

[Roddypeepa]

Originally Posted by subcsteve

any person that feels the need to tell you every 5 mins just how honest they are in every interaction sets the alarm bells ringing imo.....steer clear.

Yes a red flag for sure.


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