Man jailed following series of post-box burglaries

A man has been imprisoned for four years and nine months for fraud and burglary offences in Surrey and London.

Vassim Aslam, 51, (DOB 02/06/1973) from Haringey, was sentenced after pleading guilty to 12 counts of burglary, one count of perverting the course of justice and one count of going equipped.

Between May and October 2023, residents at a block of flats in Woking recognised that their letters were going missing.

CCTV obtained from the premises showed a man entering the building, opening the letter boxes with master keys, and taking post. The man was then seen leaving in a Vauxhall Zafira.

An investigation was launched, with subsequent enquiries linking Aslam to these burglaries, and he was arrested on suspicion of burglary on Walton High Street on Thursday 23 November 2023.

When he was searched, officers found a fixed penalty notice, a Chelsea FC membership card and two bank cards, all in different names and addresses. He also had £1,765 in cash.

When searching his vehicle, officers found further letters and bank cards in other people’s names from different addresses across Surrey and London. They also found 18 tickets to Ascot races, tickets to Newbury racecourse, the cap that can be seen in the CCTV, three phones and a number of SIM cards.

A search of his home address also found more bank cards and letters which were not in his name.

Investigating officer PC Iona King said: “We are aware the impact burglaries and fraud can have one our communities and we will continue to be robust in our approach to tackling such criminality.

“The team worked really hard to secure the evidence required to prove Vassim Aslam’s criminality not just in Surrey, but also London, and ensure he was brought to justice.

“Particular mention must go to PC Tom Hinch for his role in driving this investigation and identifying the scale of Mr Aslan’s offending.

“We would also like to thank the members of the public who provided information about Aslam’s offending – we would not have been able to put our case together without it.”

If you see anyone acting suspiciously in their communities, we urge you to report it to us. In an emergency, always call 999.