Tesco thieves banned from all stores after stealing £4.6k worth of items | UK | News
Thieves have been banned from entering all Tesco stores after they were caught taking £4,600 worth of items. Mariana Ghencea, 40, and Robert-Florin Ghencea, 28, were arrested on May 1 after stealing items from the supermarket for three months.
They first came to police attention after shoplifting from a Tesco in Gillingham, Kent, and established contacts from across the county, targeting stores in Sevenoaks, Whitstable and Folkestone.
Investigators then contacted Tesco’s head office and worked with its security team, who uncovered a further 26 thefts. Kent Online reports.
Between February 19 and April 3, the pair stole premium products such as Filippo Berio olive oil, Lurpak butter and Lavazza coffee beans.
Goods worth between £59 and £535 were stolen during each burglary spree; The total value of the items seized over the months is estimated to be around £4,630.
Police tracked the couple’s vehicle to Dagenham, east London, and went to two addresses linked to them on May 1.
The male suspect was found hiding in a garden shed but they were both arrested on Arnold Road.
The pair admitted all their crimes at Medway Magistrates’ Court on May 4. They were released on conditional bail, including a ban on entering all Tesco stores in the country.
Investigating officer, Police Sergeant Sophie Lawrie, said: “Genceas caused damage to businesses across the south of England and we are pleased they have admitted doing so.
“They caused distress to a number of security guards who had to confront them while they were committing crimes and took items worth thousands of pounds.”
He added: “Our officers acted quickly and went to Dagenham to arrest them, which should serve as a warning to others not to come and insult our borough. We will come and find you wherever you are.”
