A serving policeman who tried to sell £9,000 worth of stolen electronic equipment on eBay faces jail.

PC Colin Powell knew the MP3 players and computer parts had been stolen from a cargo warehouse at Heathrow Airport.

Theft at the airport was so rife it was known as “Thief-row”, Middlesex Guildhall Crown Court heard.

Powell, 25, was asked to dispose of the Moxa computer components and around 11 Inovix MP3 players by a pal who he used to work with at the airport. He also tried to sell an Aigo MP3 watch.

Giving evidence for the prosecution Powell’s pal Robert Chimiel, who had already pleaded guilty to possessing stolen goods, said Powell knew the equipment was “dodgy”.

Chimiel, 35, a former supervisor for HPL Kensington which sorts cargo at Heathrow, said the airport was nicknamed “Thiefrow” because of the “rife” level of stealing there.

Chimiel said the pair became friends when they worked together at Menzies World Cargo.

He told the court: “I had some stolen goods and I needed to sell them, and I asked Mr Powell if he knew anyone who wanted to buy them.

“He came and took some of the goods and tried to sell them. I knew he didn’t have a problem with that sort of thing, so I asked him first. I told him it was stolen and it was taken from the airport.”

Powell, who was based at Twickenham Police Station in south west London, had denied three counts of possessing criminal property, five of converting criminal property and four of attempting to do so, but was convicted by a jury of all 12 offences. Powell was suspended from the Met in December 2004.

Chmiel, of Bedfont, Middlesex, had previously pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of criminal property. Both men will be sentenced next month

Posted: 07|30|06 at 10:06 am. Filed under: UK News.