A former lost property handler organised a burglary from Manchester Airport which saw high value goods taken.
Arfan Ullah, 27, had the access code through his previous job to a unit where lost property not claimed in the airport was moved to for the long-term.
The unit was protected by a keypad and Ullah had been given the code just a month before the burglary in March 2019.
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He had actually been let go by the company which managed the lost property, Excess Baggage Ltd, shortly before the heist because his performance in his probationary period was ‘less than satisfactory’, Minshull Street Crown Court heard.
But the code had not been changed after his dismissal and, on the day of the burglary on March 10, the last authorised person left the unit at around 4.45pm and made sure it was kept locked and secured, the court heard.
“The next morning, one of the other staff members had reason to go into the unit only to find a number of items had been disturbed and a search took place,” prosecutor Helena Williams said.
“CCTV was recovered from outside the store room and it showed that during the evening, two entries were made, one at 10.07pm and another at 1.21am on March 11.
“The first entry, two males entered the room as they had access to the code, they got in and took a number of items of luggage.
“Then at 1.21am, three males returned to the room using the suitcases from the earlier entry.”
A taxi driver confirmed that he had taken three men to the airport shortly before 10pm, two left but the third stayed in the taxi.
He added that the others returned after 20 minutes carrying luggage but he thought nothing of it.
From the CCTV, Ateeb Qaiser, 28, was seen entering the storage unit on both occasions.
Nikash Sultan, 29, was seen with Qaiser and the other males at the airport before getting into a taxi and going to an ATM.
Ullah was not seen entering the unit, but in messages obtained by the police, it was clear he was ‘planning’ the burglary.
An audit was later carried out and it was found that a ‘large number’ of high value items were missing, but the exact value is unknown.
The audit also confirmed that the security was ‘lax’, that regulations were ‘not carried out’, and that they ‘couldn’t rule out that pilfering was carried out by the staff’.
From Ullah's pay-as-you-go phone, there was regular contact with the other men.
In one message, Ullah said: “Yo, where that shop that buys everything.”
An exchange of messages continued, with Ullah asking when they were going back, and Sultan offering to pick Qaiser up.
Ullah was said to have no previous convictions; Qaiser has convictions which are not relevant; and Sultan has five convictions for 10 offences which were not related to this case.
The prosecutor added that this was a ‘clear breach of trust’.
Mitigating for Sultan, David Morton said the case had weighed heavily on his client and caused him anxiety.
He added that he now works in a Sainsbury’s warehouse where work is sporadic and finances are tight.
Mitigating for Ullah, Hunter Gray said his client was ‘deeply ashamed’ of his actions and a pre-sentence report concluded that he was immature at the time of the offences.
“It found there were underlying issues in regards to gambling and the misuse of alcohol,” Mr Gray said.
“He is ashamed for himself but also ashamed as his family don’t appreciate this sort of conduct.
“This is the first and last time you will see him before these courts.”
Sentencing, Judge Tina Landale said: “This was a gross breach of trust.
“There was a high value of items stolen, though it had not been possible to identify the value of the property, but a large amount of items were taken.
“It’s clear you had been involved and have committed and planned the offence.”
Ullah, of Barlow Moor Road, Didsbury, was handed an 18 month community order, 220 hours unpaid work and ordered to pay £800 compensation.
Sultan, of Eastbourne Avenue in Birmingham, was handed an 18 month community order, 10 days of rehabilitation activity requirements including a Thinking Skills Programme, along with 150 hours unpaid work and he was also ordered to pay £800 compensation.
Qaiser, of Egerton Road, Fallowfield, did not attend the hearing due to testing positive for COVID and will instead be sentenced on December 17.
Each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit a burglary at an earlier hearing.
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