A man has been jailed for two years after targeting students in a string of mobile phone thefts.
During the night of 9 October and the early hours of 10 October 2025, groups of young people were enjoying their night out in Rock City, Nottingham.
Serigle Ndiaye stole nine mobile phones from victims in a matter of hours.
Police said:
‘The 30-year-old then attempted to flee Nottingham, unaware we had already initiated Operation Mystique to bring him to justice.
‘Our intelligence flagged the vehicle due to previous phone thefts – we quickly tracked him down and pursued the car immediately after the thefts.
‘The car was stopped on Nuthall Road, where a search uncovered a bag containing ten iPhones wrapped in tin foil.
‘Nine of the stolen mobile phones have since been returned to their owners.
‘Ndiaye, of Upper Wortley, Leeds, went on to plead guilty to nine counts of theft from the person of another and handling stolen goods.
‘Ndiaye is a prolific national offender and was subject to a Criminal Behaviour Order granted by Manchester Crown Court.’
The order, granted for five years from 15 January 2025, prohibits him from:
- Possessing any mobile phone not registered to him unless he has the owner’s express permission
- Refusing to provide any police officer with details of the registered owner of any mobile phone in his possession
- Intentionally touching any mobile phone not owned or registered to him without the owner’s express permission
- Remaining on, or refusing to leave, any commercial premises from which he has been barred or asked to leave by staff, security, or the owner
Appearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Friday (13 March), he was jailed for two years.
PC Henry Davison said: “This was an intelligence-led operation to take out a key player in phone thefts across the country.
“People store so much of their lives on their mobile phones, so losing a device can understandably be very distressing.
“There’s also the added financial damage it can cause, with the devices stolen in this case totalling over £10,000.
“Ndiaye showed no regard for his victims when he targeted them that night, and now he’s locked up, he will be unable to prey on others.
“The quick, decisive action demonstrated in this case shows how seriously we take this type of offending.
“We will not allow individuals to roam our streets causing misery.”
