How police caught gang who ‘beat, robbed and dragged’ boy, 13, for his fake Rolex

Making his way home from school in London, a 13-year-old boy was dragged down a flight of stairs, beaten and robbed.

A crowd of teenagers surrounded and attacked him during rush hour at Swiss Cottage train station last month, demanding he hand over his phone and his watch.

The thieves flashed a zombie knife at him, before leaving him terrified and injured on the floor without any of his valuables.

And he is just one of hundreds of victims robbed on the London’s transport network.

But British Transport Police have had enough.

Police Sergeant Brendan Lamb told Metro: ‘Although being robbed at knife-point almost sounds low-level nowadays, it is incredibly impactful and can change the lives of victims.

‘After crimes like this, victims understandably can become very nervous about what used to be their ordinary life. We want them to be able to feel comfortable again.’

And Metro joined them on their hunt to catch the criminals responsible for ruining so many journeys home.

The attack

On January 17 at 5pm, the 13-year-old victim was at Swiss Cottage Underground Station where he was attacked.

A group of boys were ‘lying in wait’ before they approached him, dragged him down stairs before kicking and punching him.

As it happened during rush hour, there were multiple witnesses, including a woman who tried to intervene.

But the group of attackers managed to flee, with the victim’s phone and fake Rolex watch.

He was taken to hospital after suffering facial bruising and swelling to both eyes – and police were determined to catch those responsible.

Knocking on doors

There were three targets for the yesterday’s arrests. Two 18-year-old boys, and one 15-year-old.

They were suspected of being part of the gang who surrounded the young victim, with two others, aged 16 and 17, already arrested on the day.

The first address proved to be a completely unoccupied building, with neighbours saying only workmen being seen entering and leaving the premises.

The second property, in a newly built block of flats with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Swiss Cottage, proved frustrating for officers. Three people – all siblings of one of the suspects -insisted they had no idea where their younger brother was and ‘had not seen him in weeks’.

‘But we will just keep going back here’, BTP Sergeant Danny Douglas said. ‘We are not just going to give up looking for these people.’

In the third and final property, an 18-year-old suspect was arrested and brought out. His terminally ill mum shouting out in frustration at the amount of police present.

‘Knives during robberies are still rare’

And according to the latest data, the work of officers on the UK’s transport network is pushing crime levels in the right direction – down.

Between October 2024 and September 2025, BTP recorded 361 offences involving a knife or sharp instrument, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Sergeant Lamb said: ‘Robberies involving a knife are not as common as you think, which is why it is vital we catch these criminals.’

But this is down by 26% compared to the previous year, as 487 incidents were recorded.

And as knife crime continues to involve youths, the half-term week struck as the perfect opportunity to launch a concentrated number of arrests as the teenagers involved will be at home.

‘Lives can be changed by crimes like this,’ Sergeant Lamb added. ‘Especially when the victim is so young.’

He said: ‘Just arresting one person, can lead to further lines of enquiry, and have a domino effect where we manage to catch more criminals.’

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