A robber who brandished an AK47 assault rifle in a series of London robberies was jailed today.
Mohammed Ali, 26, of Bow, pointed the gun at terrified cahiers during raids on five William Hill bookmakers and a branch of Barclays Bank, all in east London , in the spring of 2009.
In the raid on the bank in Bethnal Green Road Ali ran up to the counter and pointed the AK47 at staff, demanding money before smashing the gun against the glass, cracking it with the force.
He pleaded guilty robbery and firearms offences at the Old Bailey and was jailed for seven years.
Police later discovered Ali bought a deactivated AK47 from a company in Wales and had it delivered to his work address in Aldgate. The gun has never been recovered.
The first robbery took place on Tuesday 9 June 2009 at 9:42 am at William Hill in Cambridge Heath Road.
Ali, carrying an AK47, entered the premises with an accomplice.
He approached the cashiers, demanding: "Money, money!" Around £400 was handed over and he fled.
The pair tried to hold up Barclays bank on July 25 but the staff hid and both suspects fled empty-handed.
Ali had been seen entering the bank 15 minutes earlier to 'survey' the venue.
Investigating officer Detective Sergeant Neil Turner said: "We are pleased at today's sentencing which means a very dangerous man is now behind bars.
“Ali used a military weapon on the streets of London to commit armed robberies, terrifying his victims who were just trying to carry out their everyday business.
"His conviction comes after a lengthy investigation by the Flying Squad which demonstrates our tenacity and commitment to tackling these types of crime."
Ali’s accomplice, Mohammed Ghaoui, 22, of Wembley, was jailed for four years in December 2009 after pleading guilty to robbery and possession of a firearm.
