Dave GilyeatSouth of England
Four arrests have been made after a group of masked men entered a vehicle and stole phones, a watch worth about £450,000 and cryptocurrency valued at about £1.1m.
Two men and three women were travelling in the car in Oxford on the afternoon of 4 November when the men clad in face coverings got inside.
They forced one of the victims to transfer the cryptocurrency out of their account and after 30 minutes left the vehicle in the Five Mile Drive area of the city.
Thames Valley Police said a “complex” investigation followed, with officers conducting warrants and arresting four men on suspicion of offences including robbery and kidnap.
Det Sgt Stuart McMaster said “Thames Valley Police has been conducting a thorough investigation into the offences.
“This has included house-to-house, CCTV, ANPR, digital, forensic, cryptocurrency and financial inquiries.
“We have also conducted warrants in London and Birmingham along with arrests in Kent, arresting four men.”
The men arrested are:
- A 21-year-old from London on suspicion of conspiracy to commit robbery, kidnap and other driving offences, released on police bail until 14 January.
- A 37-year-old man from London on suspicion of robbery and kidnap, released on police bail until 30 January.
- A 23-year-old man from Kent on suspicion of robbery and kidnap, released on police bail until 7 February.
- A 19-year-old man from Birmingham on suspicion of robbery, kidnap and possession of articles for use in fraud, released on police bail until 29 January.
Police are appealing for footage or witnesses of either a black BMW saloon car, a blue Hyundai Ioniq, or a silver Mercedes Benz Vito in the area of Yarnton Road and Sandy Lane between Kidlington and Yarnton.
They are also seeking information about these vehicles in Five Mile Drive, Carey Close, Rotherfield Road and Kirk Close in Oxford between 13:00 and 16:00 on the day of the robbery.