Brothers don Royal Mail disguises for £280k ‘sham robbery’ at post office

Two brothers, Rakib Shah, 26, and Aksar Shah, 29, have been sentenced to jail for their involvement in what has been described as a “sham robbery” at a Heald Green post office.

They entered the post office and convenience store on Finney Lane, disguised in Royal Mail waistcoats, and stole £280,000 in cash, stamps, scratch cards, and foreign currency on 17 December 2022.

Inside the post office, they demanded cash, and one of the shop assistants, among the two staff members present, complied by opening the safe.

Subsequently, both staff members had their hands tied with cables, but one managed to escape and raised the alarm at a neighbouring business. The brothers then left with the stolen items, valued at £280,000, on a black trolley and fled in Rakib’s car. The money has not been recovered as of now.

The prosecution argued that the brothers had “inside knowledge” of the post office and executed a well-planned robbery, completing their operation in less than 12 minutes.

During the court proceedings, it was revealed that on the morning of the incident, at 7:30 am, Rakib had reported that his car had been stolen. However, when an operator contacted him an hour later, he stated that the car had been found.

Before the robbery occurred, the car used in the crime was captured on CCTV along Stockport Road. Rakib was then seen leaving the car and buying a black beanie hat, which could be considered a disguise for the robbery.

Subsequently, the car was recorded on CCTV with its license plate altered in an attempt to conceal its identity.

Upon their later arrest, Aksar was found to be carrying two bundles of cash containing £10 notes, despite being on Universal Credit at the time.

During the court proceedings, Aksar admitted to the theft but claimed he had only stolen £10,000. He alleged that it was an “inside job with staff involved.”

Rakib, on the other hand, was arrested but denied any involvement. He asserted that he was at home in bed with his partner on the day of the robbery and that he had only left to buy the hat because he felt cold.

However, both brothers later pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal and were subsequently sentenced. Rakib received a two-and-a-half-year prison term, plus an additional week for breaching a community order. Aksar was sentenced to 27 months in prison.

The court heard that Rakib had previous convictions for cannabis possession and driving offenses, with his most recent conviction being for a driving offense in October the previous year, for which he received a community order. In contrast, Aksar had no prior convictions.

During the sentencing, Recorder Alex Leach recognised the prosecution’s case that the brothers had engaged in a fake robbery but also acknowledged that they were not the masterminds behind the operation. He emphasised that they were aware they were stealing a significant amount of cash and had substantial roles in the enterprise.

There is an ongoing police investigation into the robbery.