Gang of Algerian migrants jailed after £600k luggage heist targeting Abu Dhabi royals

A gang of Algerian migrants has been jailed after stealing £600,000 worth of luggage from three members of the Abu Dhabi royal family.

Three cases were stolen from the elite royal family, with one thief claiming he sold it to a market trader in south London for £10,000.

Abdel Aitkebir, 35, who claimed to have sold the contents, was jailed for two year and six months on Friday.

Medhi Fatih, 41, also involved in the thefts, was jailed for two years and four months.

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Their targets were Roda Al Nahyan, her mother Shamsa, and Najla Al Qubaisi, all walking to a private car after arriving in London on the Eurostar in October.

Two of the suitcases included more than £600,000 worth of jewellry.

The House of Nahyan is the ruling royal family of Abu Dhabi and is thought to be worth more than £250billion.

When asked by Aitkebir’s lawyer if there was proof the cases were worth such a hefty sum, Diana Wilson, prosecuting said: "They are an extremely wealthy family.

"They are not the sort of family that keeps receipts."

Aitkebir and Fatih entered Britain illegally in July 2025 and were loitering outside the station on October 16 last year, CCTV showed.

Before the cases could be loaded into the boot of the private car, a third man distracted the driver while the two men made a snatch and grab.

Fatih had photos of the cases' contents, including gold necklaces, bracelets and earrings on his phone.

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Aitkebir, speaking through a translator, previously said he "took the gold" out of the case and sold it.

"I showed the man some jewellery, said I’m selling these items and he bought them," he said.

"When he offered that amount of money I was really happy because at that point I had no money for food and nowhere to sleep.

"I would like to say I'm sorry and I apologise for what I did."

The Algerian said he had worked occasionally as a builder for cash in hand - as he had no legal right to live in Britain - said his decision to steal the cases was opportunistic.

But Judge Benedict Kelleher, at an earlier sentencing, rejected his claim.

He said: "The obvious inference is that the people involved were acting together and knew each other, that they were waiting for a target or targets to arrive at the station and they were targeting people likely to have high value goods to steal.

"I am clear this was a planned and organised theft, that the victims were targeted because of their apparent wealth, and Mr Aitkebir was a part of that. I reject his evidence."

And on Friday, he said: "It's clear from the CCTV that you had noticed the vehicle and you got yourselves in position to steal when the family arrived. As they walked through the station it would have been obvious to you they were wealthy. You were clearly targeting them for that reason.

"This offence clearly involved some planning which included the coordination of seven men and the identification of passengers coming from an international train who had a waiting chauffeur."

Detective Constable Nicholas Barr said: "These men worked together in an organised fashion to target everyday commuters and steal their valuables, and their string of crimes caused so many victims huge amounts of stress and anxiety.

"Thanks to the keen eyes and awareness of our officers at King's Cross in November last year, the group were caught red-handed. Our officers patrol the rail network every day in plain clothes to react to anything suspicious and stop offenders like these men in their tracks.

"If you see someone acting suspiciously in stations or on trains, or if you've been the victim or witness to a theft, I urge you to report it to us by texting 61016. We take every report seriously, and just as we have in this case we'll do everything in our power to bring thieves to justice."

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