In a scheme to steal £1 million in cash in transit, two individuals have been found guilty.
The Met Flying Squad’s thorough investigation led to the pair’s conviction.
Once police suspicions were aroused shortly after the robbery in December 2021 was reported by the purported victim, the intricate criminal scheme was uncovered over the course of a seven-month inquiry.
Police discovered that it was an inside operation carried out using confidential information only staff could access. They also learned that the effort to break any connection between the robbers and the crime required more than two years of planning, including burner phones, and “mission automobiles.”
Specialist cash in transit driver Andrew Measor departed his home address for work on December 30, 2021.
Surveillance captured him being confronted on his porch by a man brandishing a gun and donning a full facemask as he was leaving. Measor later told police that if he didn’t follow the gang’s directives, the man had threatened to hurt his family who were staying at the residence. He claimed that after being given a disposable phone, he was instructed to go to his depot and pick up his daily paycheck. After doing so, he later departed the depot with his truck loaded with £14,660 in coins and £920,000 in cash.
Measor was captured on Video shortly after starting his job pulling over and placing the cash bags into big laundry bags (given to him by the man on his doorstep). The van was then driven to a dirt lane off Friary Lane in Woodford, where he arrived at 06:30. Measor would have had a body-worn camera and a personal attack alarm as part of his work. Several security features were installed in the vehicle he was operating, and CCTV footage captured him using the disposable phone to communicate while pretending to be under duress.
Soon after we arrived in Woodford, a black Volkswagen Golf and a white Vauxhall Combo van with cloned licence plates came up and walked over to the vehicle. Three masked guys were seen in court footage removing the checkered laundry bags holding Measor’s cash and disposable phone.
Measor thereafter manoeuvred the van to a nearby Oak Lane before handcuffing himself to the van’s steering wheel. He called his employer and reported being robbed, adding that he had to dial the number with his nose.
Shortly later, police showed up and started an investigation. Soon after starting their investigations, they developed doubts regarding the type of heist. His description made it clear that those involved were aware of the exact security measures and had to have learned about them from a corporate employee.
Measor claimed he was traumatised by the incident and was thus signed off sick from work. Nevertheless, when he was later detained, authorities were able to determine from texts from his phone that he had informed a friend he was “milking time off” and pretending to have PTSD in order to receive compensation.
A thorough investigation of the CCTV, ANPR (Automatic Number Plate Recognition), and phone records revealed the sequence of events leading up to and following the fictitious heist.
Investigators were able to establish that Measor had been playing out the robbery for the CCTV to maintain the appearance that he was a real victim.
According to the investigation, Measor and Stefanos Cantaris were associated and had contact with one another.
It was established that they frequently interacted before the theft at places they later visited again on the day of the robbery. To avoid connecting them to one another that day, they used burner-style phones. The burner phones were all destroyed shortly after the robbery and were never found by authorities.
In order to get away from the crime scene, they employed several bogus number plates on at least four separate automobiles that they switched into with the money. Some of these vehicles featured many sets of interchangeable copied licence plates. Investigations showed that all of the vehicles involved in the crime were destroyed shortly after the theft.
Detective Chief Inspector Laura Hillier, from the Flying Squad, said: “This case is an example of how far proactive policing can go, it was a substantial investigation but has paid off following the outcome in court.
“The two men played their part in executing the plan but they were not as successful as they’d hoped in covering their tracks. The level of planning shows how determined they were to succeed.
“Our enquiries to trace the stolen cash continues.”
The men were charged in July 2022 and stood trial for conspiracy to steal, conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, and conspiracy to conceal, disguise, convert, transfer or remove criminal property.
Andrew Measor, 51 (12.09.71) of Danbury Road, Loughton, was found guilty of conspiracy to steal and perverting the course of justice at Southwark Crown Court on Tuesday, 21 February.
Stefano Cantaris, 39 (22.02.83) of Albany Court, Epping, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal and was found guilty of perverting the course of justice
They were both found not guilty of transferring criminal property.
They will be sentenced at Southwark Crown Court on Friday, 24 March.
