Indian enterprise individuals are avoiding being out and about in Mayfair over fears they could possibly be mugged for his or her costly watches after a 27% rise in “theft from a person” in London, an entrepreneur has mentioned.

Devin Narang, an entrepreneur, informed a gathering attended by David Lammy, the shadow international secretary, that worry of crime in London was one of many greatest issues of India’s wealthy elite.

“People are being mugged in the heart of London – in Mayfair,” Narang, a member of the chief committee of the federation of Indian chambers of commerce and business, mentioned at a gathering in New Delhi, in accordance with the Financial Times. “All CEOs in India have had an experience of physical mugging and the police [in London] not responding.”

Narang mentioned wealthy Indians thought of it safer to stroll round New Delhi than London. “Indians do carry expensive things, but the police not responding is a matter of concern,” he mentioned. “London is a walking city. You don’t want to look over your shoulder all the time. You don’t want to go to a city where you’re likely to be mugged in the streets. It doesn’t make you feel comfortable. You can walk anywhere in Delhi and you won’t be mugged.”

Lammy, who’s in New Delhi for commerce talks, informed the assembly that in his brief go to, a number of different folks had additionally raised issues about muggings and thefts in central London. He mentioned that “security and fighting crime” could be key priorities underneath Labour.

Thefts from the individual – which incorporates muggings, bag-snatches and cell phone theft – within the City of Westminster, which incorporates Mayfair, rose by 40% final yr to 25,650, whereas in London they rose 27%. There had been 72.4 reported thefts from the individual per 1,000 folks resident within the borough, according to Crime Rate, an internet site that analyses crime statistics.

In the previous 5 years, 29,000 watches have been reported stolen to the Met, with one in 5 of these thefts involving violence, in accordance with a freedom of data request by database The Watch Register.

A spokesperson for the mayor of London’s workplace, which oversees the Metropolitan police, mentioned: “The Met have stepped up their response to robberies – which are rising nationally – and have specialist teams out proactively targeting the most prolific offenders and robbery hotspots.”

Last month, the force revealed that it had deployed undercover “victim” officers carrying costly watches with a view to catch thieves. Sir Mark Rowley, the Met police commissioner, praised plainclothes officers for his or her bravery in volunteering to be focused by violent robbers in two operations throughout South Kensington, Chelsea, Soho and Mayfair. He mentioned the officers – who wore luxurious manufacturers akin to Rolex and Patek Philippe – had proven “real guts” to exit and “be robbed by violent criminals”. The operation has led to greater than 20 convictions thus far.

The Met police’s commander of intelligence, Ben Russell, mentioned of the thieves: “There are groups of young men, mainly in their 20s and 30s, hanging around outside bars and clubs spotting people, and they know what they’re looking for.

“They’re not stealing people’s fakes – they are targeting original, genuine, expensive watches. They’re getting right up in people’s faces, they’re manhandling victims, they’re spending quite a bit of time talking to victims to make sure they know what they’re stealing.”