Burglars who used Rightmove to plan raids jailed
Burglars who used Rightmove to plan raids jailed
A group of four burglars, hailing from Albania, were sentenced to prison terms after using Rightmove and Google to orchestrate numerous break-ins at homes across the UK. The convictions came following a hearing at Chester Crown Court, where the men admitted guilt for the crimes. Their combined thefts totaled £1 million in stolen goods, including luxury watches, designer handbags, and gold. The gang also established weekly goals to maximize their gold haul.
Among those sentenced were Kristian Gropcaj, 31, George Pepa, 31, and Krisjian Dedndreaj, 29, all from the West Midlands, along with Sidorjan Lleshi, 27, from Sheffield. Their sentences ranged from nine years to ten years and nine months. Endrit Nikolli, 27, is yet to receive his verdict. His partner, Jade Tubb, from Walsall, confessed to conspiracy to possess criminal property and received a 12-month suspended sentence, which includes 200 hours of community service.
The gang targeted affluent areas, often using Google to identify high-value postcodes before researching property layouts on Rightmove. This method allowed them to plan their entries effectively. In some cases, they accessed homes via the first floor, using ladders to bypass alarm systems that only covered ground-level areas. The court revealed that stolen items were sometimes packed into ripped sheets from beds as temporary bags.
“The gang were all members of a high-level organised crime group responsible for at least 59 high-value burglaries across the UK,” said Det Sgt Laura Fox of Cheshire Police. “They specifically aimed for wealthy victims, with the goal of seizing maximum high-value property. Between them, they even set weekly targets for the amount of gold they sought to steal.”
Cheshire Police uncovered the gang’s modus operandi through CCTV footage, which showed them extracting an entire safe from one residence. The group’s activities spanned multiple regions, including eight incidents in Cheshire, two in Middlesbrough, nine in Derbyshire, and others in Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Hereford, and Shropshire. The coordinated efforts highlight their strategic approach to criminal activity.