Chris Kaba's notorious 67 gang was involved in 11 shootings in London over the past year, Met Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley has revealed.
The disclosure came during a Crimestoppers dinner in London this week, where the Met chief detailed the extent of violence linked to the South London gang.
Kaba, who was shot dead by police in September 2022, was a senior member of the gang and is believed to have shot a rival in a packed nightclub just six days before his death.
He was also suspected of carrying out a shooting in Brixton on September 4, 2022, which led to police stopping his Audi on the night he died.
Police marksman Sergeant Martyn Blake was later acquitted of murder in just three hours by jurors who determined the shooting was lawful.
The Met Police consider the 67 gang to be the most dangerous in South London, responsible for significant bloodshed and child exploitation.
Rowley revealed the gang comprises approximately 95 key offenders at its core, with numerous additional associates on the periphery.
The group is actively involved in the distribution of drugs and indiscriminate use of firearms across the capital.
Members of the gang continue to profit from the music industry, producing lyrics that "incite violence and mock and goad rivals," according to the Met Commissioner.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
The gang's activities contribute to a concerning pattern of violence in London, where young black men are 13 times more likely to be murdered than white men.
Their criminal enterprise has placed such a strain on police that Sergeant Blake, who shot Kaba, is now said to be in hiding after the gang allegedly placed a £10,000 bounty on his head.
Rowley has criticised influential figures who he says undermined trust in the police following Kaba's death.
"Some people with huge influence risked undermining the British justice system and those people should know better," the Met Commissioner said.
Several Labour politicians, including Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, had called for "justice" after the shooting.
Even after Sergeant Blake's acquittal, Labour MP Kim Johnson claimed the "media are using racist gang tropes to justify the killing of Chris Kaba."
Rowley noted that "from the outset, over the last two years the majority of the conversation online focused entirely on Chris Kaba's ethnicity."
The Met chief stressed that building public trust in police needs to be a "shared endeavour," adding that those in positions of authority need to be "more aware of the weight of their words."
The gang's influence extends beyond street violence into the exploitation of vulnerable youth across London.
Rowley highlighted how the 67 gang is among the "10 or so most active gangs in London," with a high number of members involved in child exploitation.
Their activities are contributing significantly to what the Met Commissioner describes as "disproportionality" in London's crime statistics.
Kaba himself, known by the rap name 'Mad Itch' or 'Itch', had released drill rap songs bragging about gunning down rivals and selling drugs.
Rowley emphasised that the gang's activities are "a critical part of creating the disproportionality that sadly coerces and exploits black boys and draws them into gangs and crime."
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The disclosure came during a Crimestoppers dinner in London this week, where the Met chief detailed the extent of violence linked to the South London gang.
Kaba, who was shot dead by police in September 2022, was a senior member of the gang and is believed to have shot a rival in a packed nightclub just six days before his death.
He was also suspected of carrying out a shooting in Brixton on September 4, 2022, which led to police stopping his Audi on the night he died.
Police marksman Sergeant Martyn Blake was later acquitted of murder in just three hours by jurors who determined the shooting was lawful.
The Met Police consider the 67 gang to be the most dangerous in South London, responsible for significant bloodshed and child exploitation.
Rowley revealed the gang comprises approximately 95 key offenders at its core, with numerous additional associates on the periphery.
The group is actively involved in the distribution of drugs and indiscriminate use of firearms across the capital.
Members of the gang continue to profit from the music industry, producing lyrics that "incite violence and mock and goad rivals," according to the Met Commissioner.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
- Sadiq Khan REFUSES to apologise to Met Police officer cleared of Chris Kaba murder
- BBC slammed for Chris Kaba documentary while gang bounty remains on firearms officer
- Union leader claims Chris Kaba a 'victim of two-tier justice' in speech at London rally
The gang's activities contribute to a concerning pattern of violence in London, where young black men are 13 times more likely to be murdered than white men.
Their criminal enterprise has placed such a strain on police that Sergeant Blake, who shot Kaba, is now said to be in hiding after the gang allegedly placed a £10,000 bounty on his head.
Rowley has criticised influential figures who he says undermined trust in the police following Kaba's death.
"Some people with huge influence risked undermining the British justice system and those people should know better," the Met Commissioner said.
Several Labour politicians, including Jeremy Corbyn, Diane Abbott and Bell Ribeiro-Addy, had called for "justice" after the shooting.
Even after Sergeant Blake's acquittal, Labour MP Kim Johnson claimed the "media are using racist gang tropes to justify the killing of Chris Kaba."
Rowley noted that "from the outset, over the last two years the majority of the conversation online focused entirely on Chris Kaba's ethnicity."
The Met chief stressed that building public trust in police needs to be a "shared endeavour," adding that those in positions of authority need to be "more aware of the weight of their words."
The gang's influence extends beyond street violence into the exploitation of vulnerable youth across London.
Rowley highlighted how the 67 gang is among the "10 or so most active gangs in London," with a high number of members involved in child exploitation.
Their activities are contributing significantly to what the Met Commissioner describes as "disproportionality" in London's crime statistics.
Kaba himself, known by the rap name 'Mad Itch' or 'Itch', had released drill rap songs bragging about gunning down rivals and selling drugs.
Rowley emphasised that the gang's activities are "a critical part of creating the disproportionality that sadly coerces and exploits black boys and draws them into gangs and crime."
Find Out More...