Four Albanian men and a British woman have been jailed for a total of more than 38 years after being found guilty of involvement in a series of high-value burglaries in which around £1 million worth of goods was stolen. Kristian Gropcaj, 30, George Lleshaj, 31, Krisjian Dedndreaj, 28, Sidorjan Lleshi, 26, and Jade Tubb, 33, were sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Monday, April 13 and Tuesday, April 14.
Teams of police officers from several forces linked the gang to at least 59 burglaries across the UK. This included nine in Derbyshire, eight in Cheshire, two in Cleveland, two in Leicestershire, five in Nottinghamshire, seven in Staffordshire, two in Warwickshire and nine in West Mercia.
The total value of the stolen items is estimated to exceed £1 million, and while some have been recovered, most are believed to have already been sold on, Derbyshire Times reported.
The offenders typically gained access by using ladders to reach first-floor windows and balconies of the properties. Once inside, they would search through the houses, taking jewellery, designer handbags, watches, and cash.
Cheshire police have now launched an appeal to trace the rightful owners of hundreds of suspected stolen items which were recovered during the investigation.
Temporary Detective Inspector Ryan McVeigh said: “This group operated as a highly organised network of burglars, deliberately researching properties and victims to target homes for items of significant financial and sentimental value.
“They spread their offending across several counties in an attempt to evade detection, but the collaborative approach taken during this investigation ensured that vital information and evidence were shared, ultimately leading to their identification and prosecution.”
Dedndreaj received nine years in prison for conspiracy to commit burglary, along with a concurrent five-year sentence for conspiracy to handle criminal property. Lleshaj was sentenced to nine years in prison for conspiracy to commit burglary, and received a concurrent four-and-a-half-year sentence for conspiracy to handle criminal property. Lleshi was sentenced to 10 years and 9 months in prison for conspiracy to commit burglary, one count of burglary, and conspiracy to handle criminal property. A further 15 burglary offences were also taken into account during sentencing.
Gropcaj was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit burglary, along with a concurrent five-and-a-half-year term for conspiracy to handle criminal property. Tubb received a one-year suspended sentence for two years for possession of criminal property. A sixth defendant Endrit Nikolli, 29, is due to be sentenced on April 29.