Albanian gang jailed after £1m UK crime spree – 59 burglaries | UK | News
Four Albanian men and a British woman have been jailed for a total of more than 38 years after being found guilty of being involved in a series of high-value thefts in which nearly £1 million worth of goods were 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 13 April and Tuesday 14 April.
Teams of police officers from various forces identified the gang as being linked 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 although some have been recovered, most are believed to have already been sold, reports the Derbyshire Times reported.
Criminals often gained access by using ladders to reach first floor windows and balconies of properties. Once inside, they would search the houses and take jewellery, designer bags, watches and money.
Cheshire police have launched an appeal to track down the rightful owners of hundreds of suspected stolen items seized during the investigation.
Interim Detective Inspector Ryan McVeigh said: “This group operated as a highly organized network of thieves, deliberately searching through properties and victims to target homes for items of significant financial and sentimental value.
“They spread their crimes across several counties in an attempt to avoid detection, but the collaborative approach taken during this investigation enabled vital information and evidence to be shared and ultimately led to their identification and prosecution.”
Dedndreaj was sentenced to nine years in prison for conspiracy to commit theft, while he was also sentenced to five years in prison for conspiracy to possess criminal property. Lleshaj was sentenced to nine years in prison for conspiracy to commit theft and was also sentenced to four and a half years in prison for conspiracy to possess criminal property. Lleshi was sentenced to 10 years and 9 months in prison for conspiracy to commit theft, one count of theft and conspiracy to possess criminal property. Another 15 theft crimes were taken into account during sentencing.
Gropcaj was sentenced to 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit theft and also five and a half years in prison for conspiracy to possess criminal property. Tubb was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment, suspended for two years, for possession of criminal property. The sixth defendant, 29-year-old Endrit Nikolli, is expected to be sentenced on April 29.
