Two brothers, Bilal and Zachariya Rakik, were sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty to kidnapping, blackmail, and possession of an imitation firearm with the intent to cause fear of violence. The crime took place in September 2023 when the brothers kidnapped Ali Almafraji, a man they believed to be wealthy, despite having never met him before. They created a fake profile on Azar, a video chat app, using a photo of a woman to set up a meeting outside a Nando’s restaurant in southeast London. When Mr. Almafraji arrived at about 10 p.m. on September 10, he discovered the profile had been deleted and assumed he had been stood up. Shortly after, the brothers approached him in a car, wearing balaclavas and surgical gloves, and pulled out what was described as a very realistic imitation of a semi-automatic handgun, holding it against his back and threatening to shoot him. The brothers then drove Mr. Almafraji around southeast London, demanding £30,000 in ransom and warning that he would be killed by sunrise if the money was not raised. When Mr. Almafraji said he had no money, the brothers used his smartphone to call four of his friends, demanding they pay the ransom. One friend was told: "Listen right now, if the morning light shines on me, it's the last. Don't even call." Their plan was interrupted when one of Mr. Almafraji’s friends contacted the police. The police obtained the car’s license plate and passed it to the Metropolitan Police’s Flying Squad, an elite unit specializing in tracking and stopping armed suspects. Officers tracked the car to a retail park in Sydenham before following it to Ladywell. Around 4:20 a.m., armed police forced the car to stop, smashed the windows, and rescued Mr. Almafraji from the vehicle. Initially, the brothers pleaded not guilty in November 2023, claiming they had been forced to commit the crime under duress. However, they later changed their plea to guilty in January 2025. The court heard that neither brother had any prior criminal record and that neither had reached full maturity at the time of the offense. Bilal Rakik received a sentence of seven years, two months, and 21 days, while Zachariya Rakik was jailed for seven years and 30 days. Both were also given a restraining order, which prohibits them from contacting Mr. Almafraji directly or indirectly for 10 years. Judge Martin Yale commended the Flying Squad for their skill, speed, efficiency, and bravery in carrying out the operation to rescue the victim.