This is the moment two drive-by shooters who fled to Morocco and Spain after brutally murdering a 50-year-old in Harlow in 2020 were finally arrested on UK soil as the pair were both convicted of their crimes.
Nana Oppong, 43, and Israar Shah, 39, organised and carried out the brutal killing of dad-of-three Robert Powell in Roydon, in the early hours of June 13, 2020.
Both stood trial at Woolwich Crown Court on Tuesday charged with murder and possession of a firearm – with Oppong further charged with causing grievous bodily harm and possessing a prohibited weapon.
The pair are set to be sentenced on May 31, after footage captured the moment they were arrested in the UK.
Shah, donning a black and white tracksuit kept a straight face while he was apprehended by cops in what appears to be a car park, and Oppong was seen handcuffed in the back of a vehicle while he nodded along wide-eyed as arrest details were given by an officer.
Israar Shah, 39, was arrested and charged with murder and possession of a firearm following the brutal killing of Robert Powell in June 2020
Nana Oppong was also charged with murder and possession of a firearm – as well as further charges of causing grievous bodily harm and possessing a prohibited weapon
Robert Powell, a 50-year-old dad-of-three, was shot eight times outside a party in 2020
Now, Essex Police Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintended Steve Jennings, revealing how the cold-blooded killers were caught.
Back in 2020, Mr Powell had left a party at an address in Water Lane at around 4.45am before he was fatally shot eight times.
A Ford Kuga, later found to be on cloned number plates, stopped near Mr Powell in the seconds before the shooting, before an individual stepped out of the vehicle and gunned him down.
A shot went through Mr Powell and hit two nearby women, causing them injury before the Ford Kuga dashed off from the scene.
Essex Police’s investigation later traced the Kuga to an industrial estate in Epping, where it was dumped before being collected hours later.
It is believed that days before the shooting, on June 5, Oppong and Shah had planned an aborted attack on Powell.
Encrypted messages discovered by Essex Police between the killer pair revealed a discussion about a specific type of 9mm ammunition – the same type used to kill the victim.
In the hours following the fatal shooting, Oppong’s EncroChat – an encrypted messaging service largely used by organised criminals – deleted several pieces of data, suggesting to cops that the criminal was attempting to erase evidence tying him to the murder.
Shah was then linked to a Toyota Prius recovered from his home address in the days following the shooting.
CCTV footage captured the Prius travelling along with a Vauxhall Zafira to the location of the murder and away from the scene in the moments after the shooting.
The Prius is seen to drive past the party repeatedly in the hour before the murder.
Essex Police’s investigation found that Shah, in the Prius, acted as a spotter on the lookout for Mr Powell, while the Zafira was a support vehicle.
CCTV footage captured the Prius travelling along with a Vauxhall Zafira to the location of the murder and away from the scene in the moments after the shooting
Essex Police’s investigation found that Shah, in the Prius, acted as a spotter on the lookout for Mr Powell, while the Zafira was a support vehicle
A Ford Kuga, later found to be on cloned number plates, stopped near Mr Powell in the seconds before the shooting, before an individual stepped out of the vehicle and gunned him down
Both vehicles were there to assist the gunman in the Kuga in carrying out the deadly hit.
Both Oppong and Shah fled the country in the days following the killing and were eventually apprehended.
Oppong was located in Morocco in September 2022 after trying to enter the country using false documents. He was extradited back to the UK in June 2023.
He was among 13 fugitives named in a National Crime Agency (NCA) most wanted campaign in 2022.
Shah was located in Spain in December 2022 and extradited back to the UK in March 2023.
Following the long-awaited arrests and convictions, Jennings said: ‘This murder was unusual in its level of sophistication, organisation and brutality.
‘It was not a spontaneous act of violence, but rather a planned and carefully co-ordinated execution.
‘While we may never know why the defendants carried out this murder, it is clear Oppong held a grievance against Robert Powell and was committed to seeing him killed.
‘Robert’s murder has left his family utterly devastated and they have displayed dignity throughout a years-long investigation and now, a difficult trial.
‘We have dedicated countless hours to this investigation, trawling through thousands of hours of CCTV and analysing hundreds of phones.
‘Oppong is a committed and high-level criminal, and thought he could use his knowledge of law enforcement tactics and encrypted messaging to evade justice.
Oppong (pictured) was among 13 fugitives named in a National Crime Agency (NCA) most wanted campaign in 2022
‘He enlisted the help of Israar Shah to act as a spotter, striking the moment Robert was seen to emerge from a party he had been attending.
‘We quickly focused our investigation on the movements of three key vehicles, seen travelling in convoy and clearly used solely to effectively carry out the murder.
‘Our investigation then extended to working with partners, including the National Crime Agency, to locate and arrest our suspects.
‘It quickly became clear they had fled the country, and thanks to partnership working with law enforcement agencies in the UK and abroad, the net soon closed in on Oppong and Shah.’
David Cater, National Crime Agency Regional Manager for North and West Africa added: ‘Nana Oppong and Israar Shah fled the UK after carrying out a callous drive-by shooting that sadly cost Robert Powell his life.
‘Both were traced, apprehended and returned to the UK to face the consequences of their crimes.
‘In the case of Oppong, an NCA-led extensive campaign to track him down ended in his capture by Moroccan authorities as he tried to enter the country from Spain in the back of a lorry. From there he was swiftly brought back to the UK by officers from our Joint International Crime Centre.
‘This is one of many examples that show there is nowhere for offenders to hide. Working with our partners in the UK and overseas, we are committed to capturing wanted fugitives and ensuring they have their day in court.
‘We are pleased to have assisted Essex Police’s investigation that has resulted in the convictions of these two murderers.’