Two brothers have been sentenced to more than seven years in prison each for kidnapping a man outside a Lewisham Nando's restaurant, holding him at gunpoint for six hours, and demanding £30,000. Bilal and Zachariya Rakik pleaded guilty to kidnapping, blackmail, and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. The pair used a fake dating profile on the video chat app Azar to lure their victim, Ali Almafraji, to the restaurant before abducting him in his own vehicle.
How the kidnap unfolded
In September 2023, the brothers targeted Mr Almafraji, a friend of a friend whom they had never met, because they believed he was wealthy. They set up a fake profile on Azar using a woman's photograph and arranged to meet him outside Nando's on Lewisham High Street, South East London, at approximately 10pm on September 10, 2023.
When Mr Almafraji arrived, the profile had been removed, and he assumed he had been stood up. Moments later, Bilal and Zachariya entered his vehicle wearing balaclavas and surgical gloves. Judge Martin Yale described the ensuing events as a "terrifying ordeal" for the victim.
Threats and ransom demands
The brothers produced a "very realistic imitation of a semi-automatic handgun" and pressed it against Mr Almafraji's back while threatening to shoot him. As they drove around South East London, they demanded £30,000 and warned that he would be killed by sunrise if the money was not produced.
When Mr Almafraji insisted he had no money, the brothers unlocked his mobile phone and called four of his friends to demand a ransom. One acquaintance was warned: "Listen right now, if the morning light shines on me, it's the last. Don't even call."
Police intervention and arrest
The scheme collapsed when one of the victim's friends contacted the police. The vehicle's registration details were relayed to the Metropolitan Police's Flying Squad, a specialist unit trained in armed surveillance and interception operations. Officers monitored the vehicle at Bell Green Retail Park in Sydenham before tailing it to Ladywell.
At approximately 4.20am, firearms officers forced the vehicle to stop, shattered the windows, and pulled Mr Almafraji to safety. The siblings were apprehended and have remained in custody since.
Sentencing and aftermath
Initially pleading not guilty in November 2023 on grounds of duress, the brothers changed their pleas in January 2025, admitting to blackmail, conspiracy to kidnap, and possession of an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence. The court heard that neither brother had prior convictions and that neither had reached full maturity at the time of the incident.
Bilal Rakik received a sentence of seven years, two months, and 21 days, while Zachariya Rakik was sentenced to seven years and 30 days. The pair were also issued a 10-year restraining order banning them from contacting Mr Almafraji directly or indirectly. Judge Yale added: "I pay tribute to the extraordinary work of the Flying Squad which showed skill, speed, efficiency and most of all, bravery."
