The squatters who occupied Ramna restaurant for over a month have left behind a trail of evidence showing criminal activity.
An investigation of the site yesterday by Putney.news found among the extensive debris an array of dismantled electronics as well as Amazon parcels addressed to properties across the area, pointing to an organised theft and resale operation.
Numerous Apple products including iPads and MacBook laptops were found stripped of screens and keyboards, with more devices scattered on the ground. Several of them had been carefully arranged on a back wall, presumably by someone documenting evidence.
The police were clearly involved in the operation, with graffiti on one wall reading “Inspecter [sic] Burke is Bent!” referring to Inspector Steve Burke, Putney’s local police chief, who has been tasked with clearing Putney High Street of squatters.
Several Amazon packages were also scattered around the site showing addresses from other parts of Putney – properties 5-10 minutes walk away from the restaurant. Which may explain the recent uptick in parcel thefts.
The discovery confirms what residents suspected. During the five-months that squatters have occupied various properties along the High Street, crime has gone up. The debris at the back of Ramna’s helps explain why.
Resale value
There is significant resale value in undamaged screens and keyboard and it is a common reason behind iPad and laptop thefts. Unlike the main body of the devices that can be tracked, screens cannot and there is constant demand for them from people who accidentally drop their device or otherwise damage their screen and don’t want to pay full price for a replacement.
We should note that there used to be a tech/vape shop next door to Ramna so it is possible the discarded electronics came from there but that shop has long since been emptied out and remains heavily secured. The fact that the police seemingly arranged the goods for photographing, and that more electronics were found amid the squatter’s discarded possessions, as well as the opened parcels from other parts of Putney, clearly points to systematic criminal activity.
The police have also made sure the squatters move on: on Tuesday, immediately after bailiffs cleared the restaurant, three of them set up camp in the square behind the premises using tarps and umbrellas. By yesterday morning, they were gone.
Two large industrial bins at the back of Ramna are overflowing and among the scattered debris are large amounts of empty beer cans and wine bottles, several broken bikes and bicycle tyres, mattresses, an upholstered chair, safety equipment including smoke alarms and fire extinguishers, and a variety of other personal belongings.
More worringly, the wooden panels that cover the building’s electrical panels had been set on fire and are currently heavily charred, with the lock mechanism broken; a portable oven discarded in the space where high-voltage circuits enter the building.
Five months of suspected crime
The occupation started in August when squatters took over multiple High Street properties at once. For five months, they operated behind legal notices while suspected criminal activity continued.
With the operation shut down, residents should see some relief. But the cleanup needed is extensive. With contractors currently clearing out the former Subway – which sits in the same block as Ramna and is due to be demolished to make way for a new shop and hotel complex, we should see the entire area cleaned up and this sorry episode erased entirely.
What we now hope is that the police will properly investigate criminal activity in the heart of Putney’s shopping area. We will continue asking questions and keep readers updated.
