22-year-old posted videos of his burglaries, and then the footage was used to jail him

A 22-year-old has been jailed for six years after footage from videos he posted of himself committing burglaries was used as evidence against him.

Masked thief Hamza Ghafoor brazenly recorded himself gearing up for break-ins, cruising at the wheel of a luxury car and flaunting stacks of cash. He filmed himself before and after the raids.

The 22-year-old, from Bradford, was one of six who were jailed over the organised burglaries targeting expensive vehicles over two months. Police said the clips he posted became “key evidence” in landing him and his accomplices in prison.

Footage shared by Chorley Police showed Ghafoor slipping on a face mask as if preparing for a job, followed by a clip filmed from behind the wheel of a BMW. Another video taken by Ghafoor showed piles of cash.

via Lancashire Police / SWNS

The gang carried out a series of high-value burglaries between September and November 2023. They stole vehicles that were often driven in convoy at high speed, with some involved in crashes.

In one incident on September 11th 2023, a £35,000 Volkswagen Tiguan was stolen from a property before it was abandoned following a pursuit. Its £2,500 sound system had been stripped out. In another incident the next month, a £79,000 BMW X3 was stolen from a property.

DNA from Kamran Ahmed, 23, one of the culprits, was recovered from the driver’s airbag, along with evidence from accomplice Jordan May, 23. DNA was also left on a lighter by Mohammed Zubhir, 24. Detectives pieced together CCTV, fingerprints and DNA – with other evidence including a cracked iPhone left inside one stolen car.

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When officers arrested Ghafoor, they found incriminating evidence on his phone – including pictures of a stolen Mercedes. During a search of his bedroom, police found a Louis Vuitton bag packed with hundreds of wraps of crack cocaine and heroin.

via Lancashire Police / SWNS

In total, the gang was jailed for 15 years. Hamza Ghafoor, who filmed himself before and after the crimes, was jailed for six years. Other gang members received sentences of between a year, and three years and nine months.

A spokesperson for Chorley Police said Ghafoor was “not the brightest burglar of the bunch”. They added: “He thought it would be a good idea to film himself before and after committing burglaries in East Lancashire during which high value cars were stolen. The joke is on him though, as this turned out to be key evidence in convicting him and four others of conspiring to commit burglary.”

DC Tom Archer said: “The majority of the offenders in this case were already serving prison sentences for similar offences committed in other force areas at the time of sentencing. It is, however, satisfying to know that they will now have to spend even longer behind bars.”

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