Overview
- Judges imposed a total of 15 years' custody, including six years for Hamza Ghafoor, sentences of two to three years-plus for four others, and a 12-month referral order for an 18-year-old.
- The offences ran from September to November 2023 across Pendle, Blackburn, the Ribble Valley, Hyndburn and Chorley after the group travelled from Bradford.
- Investigators linked suspects through airbag DNA, fingerprints, a cracked iPhone left in a stolen vehicle, and incriminating videos and images recovered from Ghafoor’s phone.
- Stolen cars were driven in high-speed convoys, some crashed, and vehicles failed to stop for officers during pursuits in Accrington and Bradford.
- Victims reported fear and rising insurance costs, and Lancashire Police pledged continued action against mobile offenders who operate across force boundaries.