A thief, arrested by City of London Police after eagle eyed plain clothes officers spotted him attempting to steal a backpack, has been jailed for a year.

Samir Agoun, 32, of Marquis Road, Haringey, London, was spotted on 22 October 2021 in Brune Street, in the Whitechapel area of London, by plain clothes police officers.

The officers noticed that Agoun was paying particular attention to anyone with a bag. He was later seen nearby in Widegate Street, carrying a backpack, which he tried to discard.

Officers retrieved the bag and when they searched Agoun, they also found a bank card in someone else’s name. In a search of his home, six stolen mobile phones, two false identification documents and a stolen passport were found.

As a result, police successfully linked him to a number of thefts of bags from licensed premises across the City of London.

Inspector Alexander Wisbey, from the Proactive Crime Team at the City of London Police, said: “This result follows a tireless effort to prove Agoun’s link to a number of crimes.

“His actions had a significant impact on the people who had their possessions and private information stolen. We are pleased that he is no longer able to cause harm to others.

“Our officers are here to protect people from criminals like Agoun. We are working closely with licensed premises across the City, providing training and advice to help prevent opportunistic crimes like bag and phone snatches, but we can’t do this alone. If you see something that doesn’t look right, trust your instincts and let us know by calling 101. In an emergency always call 999.”

Agoun was sentenced to 12 months in prison for theft and possession of false documents, after pleading guilty to five charges at the City of Westminster Magistrates Court on 30 November 2021.