Posted on 09/23/2002 6:46:59 PM PDT by JediGirl
A GANG behind a £2.5million Heathrow heist yesterday put their hands up to the robbery after being snared by Britain’s leading LIP READER.
The crooks — who stole the fortune in old US dollars from a plane at the airport’s Terminal One — were secretly filmed as they BOASTED about the robbery, PLANNED how they would spend the cash and BRAGGED about how police did not have a clue.
But detectives did ... and were gathering all the evidence they needed with the help of deaf Jessica Rees.
She was given 23 videos to study, and although they were silent, was able to work out virtually every word that had been said.
Flying Squad officers set up the astonishing surveillance operation after becoming suspicious of 22-year-old security guard Sundeep Sidhu.
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| Guilty ... Padda |
He claimed to have been taken hostage by two Asian robbers shortly after £2.5million in old bills were loaded into his security van from an SAA Boeing 747.
Sidhu — a £200-a-week part-timer — said he was forced to drive out of the airport at knifepoint then “raised the alarm” when the cash was unloaded and the two men fled.
But the secret films told an entirely different story.
On the night of the robbery in March, Sidhu was seen with brother Harjit, 25 — a leading member of the gang — talking animatedly on a park bench near their home in Uxbridge, Middlesex.
The brothers were then seen meeting fellow gang members Anil Parmar, 37, of Northolt, Manish Bhadresa, 23, of Southall and Harbhajan Padda, 33, of Isleworth.
On one occasion, Harjit Sidhu was filmed while sitting with Padda in a car parked at the end of a cul-de-sac in Hounslow.
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| Guilty ... Sundeep Sidhu |
Harjit told Padda how he planned to go on a trip to Hawaii later in the year and buy a house in up-market Weybridge, Surrey. Harjit also told Padda: “No one’s suspected ... the police have not sussed anything.”
He went on to say he would deny everything if cops ever did quiz him. “They’ve got no evidence,” he bragged as undercover officers filmed from a safe distance.
Harjit added: “If the police think its me, I’ll just say ‘so then, where’s the money.’
“They won’t have a thing on us.”
On another occasion, at a meeting outside a pub in Southall, Harjit and Parmar discussed how they were going to change their stolen dollars into Sterling without arousing suspicion.
And at a McDonald’s burger bar in Southall, the suspects were again filmed talking in English about their crime.
Harjit spilled their guilty secret by proclaiming: “Everybody gets £250,000. We’ve got it — it’s all over the place.”
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| Guilty ... Bhadresa |
Police later mingled with worshippers at an Indian religious festival in Southall and filmed the gang talking with each other about the heist and discussing changing millions of dollars.
Jessica even managed to work out what gang members were saying while they spoke on mobile phones.
A detective on the case described Oxford-educated Jessica, who has written a book called Sing A Song Of Silence, as “our secret weapon”.
He said: “The evidence from the lip reader was quite incredible. She pointed us in the right direction and was able to give us cast iron evidence about the crime.
“The gang had no idea they were being watched.
“But even if they had suspected a tail they would never have dreamed anyone would be able to work out what they were saying.
“There were no electronic devices, it was just old fashioned lip reading.
“They have been used in anti corruption and organised crime cases before.
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| Target ... Boeing 747 pictured shortly after being robbed at Heathrow |
“But we believe this is the first time that evidence from a lip reader has proved so valuable.”
Police later raided a lock-up garage owned by Padda in Twickenham, South West London, where they found two holdalls containing nearly £2million in US dollars, Sterling and euros.
When confronted with the lip reader’s evidence, Harjit Sidhu made a full confession to police.
He and brother Sundeep and Bhadresa pleaded guilty to theft at a hearing last month.
Yesterday at Kingston Crown Court, Surrey, Padda and Parmar also pleaded guilty to the charge.
All five members of the gang will reappear before Kingston Crown Court on October 28 for sentencing.
oh. they're all americans, i see.
I don't think Heathrow is an American airport.
Be well...
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