Two men in Kirkby in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire, UK, found themselves behind bars after trying to steal a Ferrari under the guise of buying it. The suspects, Mohammed Ali and Muhamed Juwara, contacted a seller who had listed the luxury car online, only to reveal their true intentions once they arrived at the seller’s home.
According to police reports, the two men concocted an ill-thought-out plan to rob the car owner by pulling out a gun and demanding the keys to the Ferrari. However, their simple yet audacious scheme quickly unraveled. Ali, reportedly the mastermind, brandished what appeared to be a firearm and instructed the victim to put on handcuffs, which the duo had brought along.
In a turn of events that the would-be thieves likely did not anticipate, the car owner and his female partner fought back. The woman courageously used a vase as a weapon to fend off the attackers, leading to a struggle. During the confrontation, Ali allegedly snatched the woman’s phone as she attempted to call the police.
Realizing their plan was failing, the two men fled the scene without the Ferrari. However, their escape was short-lived. Unbeknownst to them, modern technology would be their undoing. While police have not confirmed the exact method used to track the suspects, it is suspected that the stolen phone played a crucial role in their capture.
Upon their arrest, authorities discovered that the gun used in the attempted robbery was a replica, not a functional firearm. This detail might have offered a moment of levity in an otherwise serious situation, though in the heat of the moment, the victims were understandably more concerned with their safety than the authenticity of the weapon.
Further investigation revealed that this was not Ali’s first foray into crime. Police linked him to a similar robbery in July 2022. Juwara, too, had a criminal record. The legal system has since handed down sentences for the two: Ali received 18 years in prison, while Juwara was sentenced to nine years in a “young offenders institution.”
This attempted robbery highlights the importance of caution when selling valuable items online and serves as a reminder of the unpredictability of criminal behavior.
h/t: The Auto Wire