Moment Algerian asylum seeker steals packed suitcase worth £4,100 from coffee shop after he'd been freed from jail following luxury watch robbery

By SHANNON MCGUIGAN, NEWS REPORTER Published: 09:16, 23 June 2026 | Updated: 09:21, 23 June 2026 This is the moment a brazen Algerian asylum seeker steals a suitcase packed with items worth £4,100 from a coffee shop after being freed from jail following another crime.  CCTV footage shows career criminal Karime Boudina, 37, sitting at a Blank Street coffee shop in Praed Street, Paddington, on April 2, 2024.  He can be seen leaning against a table conveniently located near the cafe's entrance, scrolling on his phone, before a small suitcase near a larger one is slowly rolled towards him.  Then, after briefly checking over his shoulder, the thief makes off with the suitcase in mere seconds, leaving the coffee shop at 6.23pm that day.  But, his crime spree did not begin and end there, as the Algerian migrant went on to steal suitcases and rucksacks, which were worth more than £3,000, from unsuspecting travellers outside of Heathrow Airport on November 3, 2025.  At the time of the coffee shop theft, Boudina was under a five-year banning order from Westminster, after being handed a 15-month sentence for robbing a 'high-value watch'.   And during his sentencing at Southwark Crown Court, Karina Arden, defending, suggested Boudina's offending has worsened because he 'has an addiction to cocaine'. It later also emerged that since arriving in the UK in 2010, the professional thief has used 21 aliases with six different dates of birth, while also racking up eight convictions for 11 offences.  Boudina, of Colnbrook, Slough, Berkshire, admitted conspiracy to steal, three counts of theft, theft from a person and breach of a criminal behaviour order, and was handed a 32-month prison sentence. His time behind bars also includes nine months for the breach of a previous criminal behaviour order, and will be served consecutively. CCTV footage shows career criminal Karime Boudina, 37, sitting at a Blank Street coffee shop in Praed Street, Paddington, on April 2, 2024 Boudina, (pictured) was jailed in May for the offence as well as stealing £3,000 worth of luggage from passengers outside Heathrow Airport in November 2025 Addressing Boudina, Judge Spiro said: 'I am told your immigration status is unclear, that you were refused asylum, but that you have a renewed application, but that is not up to this court… Whatever happens will happen in due course.' Defending, Karina Arden said: 'He has been here for some years now [but] he says his offending got worse in recent years because he has an addiction to cocaine. 'Since he has been in custody, six months to the date, he has really started to think very much about where his life is going. 'He says he is 37 years of age now, he feels very much that if he doesn't do something with his life, he is going to be going nowhere.' The Algerian is likely to be subject to automatic deportation once his sentence is served, the court heard.  The judge ordered no costs beyond the victim surcharge, saying: 'I don't suppose Mr Boudina has got any money.' It comes as London has seen a spree of luxury thefts in recent times, with Algerian nationals prominently among suspects ending up in court.  Robbers usually operate as part of organised criminal networks, with items quickly exported for sale abroad. Earlier this year, an Algerian robber was jailed for stealing a Vietnamese tourist's £65,000 watch in London. Allai Ismail, 30, grabbed the Patek Philippe watch from Viet Nguyen in Notting Hill, west London, on August 7, 2024, but was caught after police took DNA from his AirPods, which he dropped at the scene, and Mr Nguyen's wrist. Ismail, of Cricklewood, north London, admitted to robbery and was jailed for three years at Southwark Crown Court. Another Algerian migrant was also jailed for targeting wealthy shoppers in Mayfair for their luxury watches. Abdulkarim Ienbuzir, 25, stole more than £100,000 of high-value timepieces during a crime spree in the capital last summer. After briefly checking over his shoulder, the professional thief made off with the suitcase containing £4,100 worth of goods in mere seconds, leaving the coffee shop at 6.23pm that day The 'systematic predator' stole a £5,000 Cartier watch, £18,000 Hublot and £85,000 Patek Philippe timepiece from three victims over three months. He tried to claim he was only in London to check on his asylum application and just happened to get involved with a robbery gang. Aided by an Arabic interpreter, Ienbuzir, of Liverpool, was jailed for four and a half years at Southwark Crown Court in April. Last year, an Algerian migrant was jailed for two years and four months after stealing a suitcase carrying £250,000 worth of luxury items and jewellery from Jenson Button's wife Brittny.  Mourad Aid, 41, swiped Mrs Button's Goyard carry-on, filled with jewellery from her wedding and heirlooms she wanted to pass onto her daughter, on February 13, 2025, as they returned from a Valentine's getaway in Paris. Alongside bracelets and rings of hugely sentimental value, the case contained two Kelly bags worth around £70,000. None of these items have been recovered. The criminal - who lingered in the UK after his visa expired - fled with the suitcase while the Formula One driver had his back turned as he helped a chauffeur load a vehicle outside St Pancras International Station in London. Aid pleaded guilty to theft at Westminster Magistrates' Court on 19 February, days after the incident. The Algerian native also pleaded guilty to handling stolen goods, following the theft of a silver Rimowa cabin suitcase belonging to James Humphrey Evans on November 24, 2024. His sentencing comes shortly after the crime was exclusively revealed by Daily Mail- as Button's American wife said neither she nor her husband had any interest in returning to the UK following the ordeal.  In a victim statement, Mrs Button said Aid had 'stripped away her sense of safety, security and peace of mind.' The Algerian had also been violating his bail conditions barring him from King's Cross station, on the day he stole Mrs Button's suitcase.  The comments below have not been moderated. The views expressed in the contents above are those of our users and do not necessarily reflect the views of MailOnline. By posting your comment you agree to our house rules. Do you want to automatically post your MailOnline comments to your Facebook Timeline? Your comment will be posted to MailOnline as usual. 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