Masked Robbers Steal £1.5M in Crypto and Luxury Watch in Oxford Heist
Police are investigating a high-value theft in Oxford after masked attackers pressured their method right into a automobile and stole a luxurious watch and greater than £1.1 million in cryptocurrency.
Key Takeaways:
- Masked robbers stole a £450,000 watch and pressured a sufferer to switch £1.1 million in crypto throughout a automobile ambush in Oxford.
- Police are searching for footage of three autos linked to the assault.
- Four males have been arrested on suspicion of theft and kidnap, although all have been launched on bail.
The incident, which occurred on the afternoon of Nov. 4, concerned two males and three girls who have been travelling from Oxford towards London when the group was ambushed, Thames Valley Police said.
Oxford Police Hunt Suspects After Victims Forced to Transfer £1.1M in Crypto
According to investigators, the robbers took the victims’ telephones and a £450,000 watch earlier than compelling one in every of them to switch £1.1 million value of crypto from their account.
The group was then deserted in the Five Mile Drive space of Oxford because the attackers fled.
Detective Sergeant Stuart McMaster issued an enchantment for witnesses, urging residents and drivers to verify dashcam or CCTV footage for 3 autos believed to be linked to the crime: a black BMW saloon, a blue Hyundai Ioniq, and a silver Mercedes-Benz Vito.
Police are notably in sightings round Yarnton Road and Sandy Lane between Kidlington and Yarnton, in addition to in Five Mile Drive, Carey Close, Rotherfield Road and Kirk Close between 1 pm and 4 pm on the day of the theft.
McMaster mentioned the pressure has launched an in depth investigation involving house-to-house inquiries, CCTV critiques, computerized quantity plate recognition (ANPR) information, digital forensics and cryptocurrency tracing.
Officers have executed warrants in London and Birmingham and made a number of arrests in Kent.
Police have arrested 4 males in reference to the case: a 21-year-old and a 37-year-old from London, a 23-year-old from Kent, and a 19-year-old from Birmingham, all on suspicion of theft and kidnap, with further costs in some cases.
All 4 have been launched on bail, with return dates set between January and February 2026.
Police are urging anybody with info or related footage to come back ahead.
As reported, bodily assaults concentrating on Bitcoin and crypto holders are rising at an alarming charge, in line with new information tracked by CASA co-founder Jameson Lopp.
Since late February, 35 new violent incidents have been reported globally, a 169% increase in just six and a half months.
The uptick provides to an already troubling development, as cryptocurrency markets proceed their bullish run.
In complete, 48 assaults have occurred up to now in 2025, marking a 33% enhance over all of 2024. France alone has accounted for 14 of this 12 months’s reported incidents.
One of essentially the most disturbing instances occurred on September 6 in Cambridge, Canada, the place a younger man was kidnapped at gunpoint and pressured to switch funds right into a cryptocurrency pockets.
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