A career criminal operating in Piccadilly Gardens identified by Operation Vulcan is jailed after targeting blind man

On 15 January 2023, Ibrahim Ali Ahmed targeted his elderly victim – who is registered blind – in Piccadilly Gardens. The victim came face-to-face with Ahmed, who grabbed his head and pushed him into some nearby bins, stealing £648 from him that he had withdrawn from his bank that day.

The victim rang the police and reported the crime straightaway. The Operation Vulcan team – GMP’s multi-agency response to tackle embedded criminality in Piccadilly Gardens – conducted extensive CCTV enquiries and were able to identify a suspect, and an investigation was launched to trace him.

Days later, on Thursday 23 January, Operation Vulcan executed a warrant at an address on Kilmington Avenue in Cheetham Hill. Ahmed was found hiding from police in a cupboard, and to be in breach of court bail conditions which had been set in November 2023 following other offences.

On Thursday 14 March 2024, Ibrahim Ali Ahmed (07/12/1999) appeared at Manchester Crown Court. He pleaded guilty to robbery at an earlier hearing. He has been sentenced to 32 months, with half to be served on license. He has also been given a five-year Criminal Behaviour Order banning him from being in Piccadilly Gardens, Northern Quarter, and The Village.  

Detective Constable Matthew Bowling of Operation Vulcan said: “We are extremely pleased with today’s result, which sees a violent and volatile criminal taken off the streets of Manchester.

“We are grateful to the victim for his quick reporting of this truly awful crime and his continued support. We hope today’s result allows him to come to terms with what happened and to move forwards with his life.

“Today is testament to the hard work of the wider city centre neighbourhood policing team, in partnership with Operation Vulcan. The public can be confident knowing that those who commit crime in and around Piccadilly Gardens and Manchester city centre will be swiftly brought to justice.”