Burglars posing as police steal £20,000 in cash with fake ‘money laundering’ investigation

The men approached residents with fake warrent cards accusing them of tax evasion

The incident occured in Croydon (Metropolitan Police )

Metropolitan Police officers are hunting three violent burglars who posed as officers to trick victims into handing over £20,000.

The men, wearing baseball caps emblazoned with word “police”, produced fake warrant cards at people’s homes and claimed that they were investigating tax evasion and money laundering.

When victims in Croydon, south London, doubted they were real officers, they forced their way into their homes to steal money.

The burglars forced to the floor one man who refused them entry and tied his hands behind his back with cable. They threatened to “tear the place apart” if he did not tell them where his cash was located.

They stole more than £20,000, as well as a high-powered air rifle, from properties in Featherbed Lane between 4.55pm and 5.11pm before escaping in a silver Vauxhall Insignia that was waitinfg for them. The car had a false number plate of NA0 8XHZ.

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Police have released CCTV images of the suspects, described as:

• A light skinned black male, around 5’9-10 tall, with dark eyes, black stubble, aged around 40, of medium build with a south London accent
• A white male, 6’3-4 tall, aged between 40 and 45, with blue eyes and mousy brown hair
• A white male, aged 40-45, of heavy build

Anyone with information call call police on 101 quoting crime reference 3832626/20 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.