A GANG which stole thousands of pounds by robbing security firms transporting cash have been jailed for a total of more than 40 years.

A GANG which stole thousands of pounds by robbing security firms transporting cash have been jailed for a total of more than 40 years.

Ringleaders Boglys Koabo, 20, and Nathan Wellington, 29, recruited gang members to rob couriers as they delivered large sums of cash in Cambridgeshire and Bedfordshire over a two-year period.

Detectives in Cambridgeshire launched Operation Murcia to tackle the gang earlier this year and the pair were arrested in east London in February.

Their mobile phones were seized and were found to contain photographs of banknotes, a banknote counter, firearms or imitation firearms and a hooded man running with a security company’s cashbox.

The gang carried out eight “cash in transit” robberies in Bedfordshire between November 2009 and September 2010. Several of the robbers were arrested and subsequently jailed.

But they started targeting Cambridgeshire in December, last year, striking outside Lloyds TSB in St Neots on December 2, before grabbing a �13,000 delivery outside Argos in the town on December 29.

Jerome Greenidge, 18, Luke Malillah, 18, and a 17-year-old boy were later arrested for the December 29 offence and pleaded guilty to robbery.

They hit a courier outside Sainsbury’s in Huntingdon, on January 27, stealing �25,000 but Vimal Jadeja, 20, was stopped by a passing off-duty officer and Nathan Murray-Williams, 19, was arrested at the scene. Koabo was also spotted as being in the area on CCTV.

Koabo and Wellington both admitted conspiracy to commit robbery. The other five pleaded guilty to robbery. All seven were jailed for a total of 40 years and six months at Peterborough Crown Court yesterday (Thursday).

Wellington, from Chadwell Heath, Romford, was jailed for 11 years while Kaobo of Dagenham, Essex, was locked up for 10 years and two months.

Greenidge of Albert Road, Ilford, and Malillah, of Station Road, Romford, were both jailed for four years after admitting the robbery outside Argos.

Jadeja of Carlton Court, Ilford, and a 17-year-old from Romford were both locked up for four years and Murray-Williams, of Carlton Court, Ilford, jailed for three years and four months – all three pleaded guilty to the robbery in Huntingdon.

Detective Inspector Jon McAdam said: “This was an organised crime gang who targeted large sums of cash being couriered between banks and businesses across London, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.

“These are ruthless criminals who thought nothing of using violence to get their hands on money. It was a complex case but we are pleased they have now been brought to justice.”