UNDERWORLD SECRETS

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXVII, Issue 4473, 21 November 1933, Page 2

UNDERWORLD SECRETS

LONDON'S NEW STYLE GUNMEN The amazing l ramifications of London’s most modern smash-and-grab raiders, burglary gangs, and the new style crook who habitually “carries a gun,” were recently revealed by the Sunday Chronicle. A man who until recently was himself a criminal, who drove highspeed cars for cx-iminals of every category, has laid bare secrets of London’s underworld and the modern crooks, whose up-to-date methods baffle the cleverest brains at Scotland Yard. He also revealed the fact that in many instances the modern crook is driven to multiplying his crimes by women associates, some of whom actually plan the place, time and method of the thefts. Probably the most startling feature of his exposure is the fact that

the number of armed criminals is on the increase. This is his own story as he told it. “First of all,” he said, “the really modern criminal does not live in the West End of London, although that is the popular belief. “Just south of the Elephant and Castle is the hotbed of crime, and there are the headquarters of the professional crook. “The smash-and-grab raider of today is a weak, undersized, ovei*dressed rat of a man. He has the nerve to carry out a raid but none to face his pursuers if he is caught in a corner, and that is why some of them are carrying guns. “How do they procure arms? The easiest way is to burgle a gunsmith’s shop. Another way is to arrange for small arms to be smuggled in from the Continent. “This latter method has been going on for a long time and the police have now taken to searching certain ships bound for London at Gravesend.

“Here is an incident which happened only a few days ago. A lorry with a consignment of arms and ammunition was left unattended near the Elephant and Castle. “A packing case containing hundreds of revolvers and thousands of rounds of ammunition was stolen in broad daylight. These guns will eventually be sold to whoever wishes to buy, and you may be sure that the demand will be brisk. “From my own personal knowledge, X don't think I exaggerate when I say that at least 10 per cent, of the criminals in London are never without guns in their pockets. “Their methods of escape are many and varied. The most popular is to transfer all the loot to a heavy lorry bound for London, for when a police call goes out all private cars are stopped. “I have even known of a car complete with crooks and loot driven up planks into a box van which has trundled past police patrols without a shadow of suspicion.”

During the past year nearly a thousand officers have been added to the Flying Squad, and the number is still being increased to combat the wave of crime which threatens to sweep the country.