Gun gang target car buyers using fake ebay ads

A RUTHLESS armed gang are thought to be behind a string of terrifying robberies linked to fake car adverts on ebay.

Police said they have received ten similar reports of armed robberies across Manchester and Oldham since November.

Detectives are now treating the incident as linked and say a further six reports involve suspicious circumstances.

On most occasions, the gang have falsely advertised a car for sale on ebay and organised to meet the buyer at a specific location, said Greater Manchester Police.

But when the victim arrived they have been threatened with weapons including a gun, a hammer and machetes and fled with large quantities of cash.

Describing one of the robberies, police said a victim and his girlfriend arrived to buy the advertised car and were confronted by two men – one of whom was wielding a gun.

They approached the victims and held the weapon to the woman’s head as they stole a large quantity of cash.

On another occasion, a victim arrived to buy a car and two men threw a vehicle jack through the passenger window of the victim’s car, smashing the window and hitting the victim in the face.

The offenders attempted to assault the victim and steal his bag, but the victim managed to escape and no money was stolen, said police.

In a third robbery, a victim arrived and was confronted by offenders wearing balaclavas and wielding machetes.

They threatened the victim before stealing a large quantity of cash.

No arrests have been made and inquiries are ongoing.

Police are advising the public to remain vigilant.

Det Sgt Kat McKeown, of GMP’s City of Manchester division, said: “These offenders are targeting innocent members of the public via the internet and have no compassion at all for their victims who they have subjected to a number of terrifying ordeals.

“They are devious and ruthless and need to be caught.

“For this reason, we have a dedicated team of detectives working around the clock to identify those responsible.

“Even so, I would like to take this opportunity to remind people to stay alert and vigilant and report anything suspicious to police immediately.”