Moped thieves are becoming ‘addicted’ to the thrill of mugging people as they can make up to £2,000 a day, former gang members claim.
Two ex-moped thieves have told of how targeting people on London streets became a ‘habit’ due to the adrenaline rush they’d get from their crimes.
Now 20 and 25, the men used mopeds for their crimes from the ages of 12 and 13, the Telegraph reports.
‘It’s now out of control’, one of the former gang members explained, claiming that such crimes have become more organised and daring.
Moped thieves are becoming ‘addicted’ to the thrill of mugging people as they can make up to £2,000 a day, former gang members claim
A map shows how certain gangs control areas of London before looking further afield
He added that children as young as 12 are being paid £50 to steal scooters and see the crime as ‘easy money’, while up to £2,000 a day can be made by older thieves.
‘There’s still that buzz behind thieving,’ the ex-gang member said. ‘You just think why do nine hours of work when I can get a moped and earn three times the money?’
There were more than 22,000 crimes by thieves on scooters in the 12 months leading up to May this year, Metropolitan Police statistics show.
MPs claim London is like the Wild West because gangs appear fearless about being caught.
Earlier this month, one of Britain’s most loved stars Michael McIntyre was attacked by a person on a moped
The comedian, 42, was waiting outside a school in north London when a gang of masked moped riders armed with hammers smashed the driver’s window of his £120,000 Range Rover and ripped the £15,000 Rolex from his wrist in front of his terrified son (pictured together)
Pictures show stunned comic Michael McIntyre speaking with police moments after he was robbed by a moped attacker
Mr McIntyre wears his valuable Rolex most of the time (circled) but was seen without it on his wrist in the aftermath of the terrifying moped attack
Ronnie, 25, using an alias, told the newspaper, he made up to £2,000 ‘on a good day’ as crimes rocketed to targeting high performance vehicles when the drivers were seen wearing expensive accessories before smashing a window and taking the valuables.
Earlier this month, one of Britain’s most loved stars Michael McIntyre was attacked by a person on a moped.
The comedian, 42, who is worth £38million, was waiting outside a school in north London when a gang of masked moped riders armed with hammers smashed the driver’s window of his £120,000 Range Rover and ripped the £15,000 Rolex from his wrist in front of his terrified son.
Ronnie claims some families were so poor on the estate where he grew up that they would turn a blind eye if their relative brought in unexplained money from their moped crimes.
Crime in London: An array of knives collected at Bethnal Green Police Station by police officers, including an enormous blade with its handle wrapped up seemingly to improve the grip (centre)
Now a father, he insists he is ‘legit’, with a full-time job in order to set a good example for this children.
Young father Danny Pearce was murdered for his wristwatch by moped-drive Jordan Bailey-Mascoll, 26.
His family have called for more to be done to stop the wave of the moped crime.
David Wilson, professor of criminology at Birmingham City University, said criminals can become addicted to the thrill they get during robberies.
‘It is called the “joys of transgression”,’ he said. ‘If, in the course of getting easy money you get an adrenaline rush – a high – it becomes addictive. You want to repeat that adrenaline rush and the circumstances in which it takes place.’