Two brazen thieves on e-bikes snatched mobile phones from pedestrians in central London during a shocking series of thefts captured on camera.
Alarming footage has revealed the hooded criminals whizzing past their unsuspecting victims, grabbing phones from their hands within seconds of each other.
The victims can be seen attempting to chase after the thieves, but the duo had already sped away on their e-bikes and disappeared into the distance.
The incidents were part of a lengthy crime spree across Westminster, Kensington and Chelsea, with the perpetrators targeting multiple victims.
Police officers and a helicopter team pursued the suspects through London streets in a dramatic chase lasting nearly two hours
Met Police
Police officers and a helicopter team pursued the suspects through London streets in a dramatic chase lasting nearly two hours.
Aerial footage captured one of the thieves, dressed entirely in black, weaving dangerously between cars in an attempt to evade capture.
During the pursuit, one of the suspects was even seen riding his e-bike against oncoming traffic.
The chase spanned across central London boroughs, with the thieves attempting to escape through Westminster, as well as Kensington and Chelsea.
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The pursuit culminated in the thieves' arrests as police confronted the suspects at their respective homes.
Bodycam footage shows both men surrendering with their hands behind their heads as officers pointed tasers at them at their front doors.
The swift police operation led to both suspects being taken into custody less than two hours after committing the original thefts.
The Metropolitan Police's coordinated response, which incorporated both ground units and helicopter support, resulted in the duo being brought to justice.
The arrests marked the end of a crime spree, which targeted multiple victims
Met Police
The Metropolitan Police confirmed their successful operation in a statement on social media, declaring: "Caught in under 2 hours Officers and our helicopter team arrested two e-bike thieves who committed a series of phone snatches across Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea."
Both men now face serious consequences for their actions, as they have been handed a combined sentence of over five years for their involvement in the mobile phone thefts in London.
Across the wider region of England and Wales, around 78,000 "snatch thefts" occurred over the course of 12 months.
Previously, the prosecution rate for the crime had been low. However, nowadays, police are taking a tougher stance on cracking down on the criminals.
