Indian businessmen meet UK shadow foreign secretary David Lammy Derry has also complained about rising crime in London, claiming a Rolex watch had been stolen, a British publication reported today.

according to Financial TimesRenewable energy entrepreneur Devin Narang named London’s crime problem as one of the biggest concerns for Indian business owners at the meeting.

Narang, founder of Delhi-based Sundev Renewable Energy, told the conference that people were being robbed in Mayfair, central London.

“All CEOs in India have had the experience of being robbed,” Narang was quoted as saying by the Financial Times.

He told the Financial Times that Indians did carry expensive items but “the lack of police response is a concern”.

“You don’t want to go to a city where you might get mugged on the street. It makes you feel uncomfortable. You can go anywhere in Delhi and not get mugged,” he said.

Crime rate rises in London

Street crime in London has increased significantly over the last year. According to reports, there was a 27% increase in “thefts” – including thefts of watches, mobile phones and handbags – last year compared to 2022.

According to reports, around 29,000 watches have been stolen in London over the past five years.

Rising crime rates have become a political issue in Britain ahead of a national election expected this year.

Undercover police target luxury watch robbers in London

Last month, police said they launched an investigation Undercover operation targeting watch thieves and successfully reduced such robberies.

The Metropolitan Police said on January 17 that the two operations were carried out in Soho from October to December 2022 and March to October 2023. Soho, Mayfair and Kensington Other hotspots in south London and Chelsea accounted for 40% of all robberies in London at the time.

The first operation from October to December 2022 saw a 28% reduction in watch robberies across the three boroughs by the end of three months, while the second operation from March to October 2023 saw a 28% reduction in watch robberies across the borough. Robberies dropped by about 15%. Three administrative districts.