Gang Jailed for Using Rightmove and Google to Plan Burglaries
A group of burglars who utilized Rightmove and Google to orchestrate a series of thefts have been sentenced to prison.
The four men stole valuables worth £1 million from affluent homes across the UK, even establishing weekly targets for the amount of gold they aimed to steal.
Kristian Gropcaj, 31, George Pepa, 31, and Krisjian Dedndreaj, 29, all from the West Midlands, along with Sidorjan Lleshi, 27, from Sheffield, pleaded guilty to the burglaries at Chester Crown Court.
They received prison sentences ranging from nine years to ten years and nine months. Endrit Nikolli, 27, will face sentencing at a later date.
The gang, originally from Albania, was linked to 44 burglaries throughout the UK.
This included eight burglaries in Cheshire, two in Middlesbrough, nine in Derbyshire, two in Leicestershire, five in Nottinghamshire, seven in Staffordshire, two in Warwickshire, three in Birmingham, three in Worcestershire, two in Hereford, and one in Shropshire.
The court heard that the men used Google to identify affluent postcodes as potential targets and then browsed Rightmove to study floorplans of various properties.
They would subsequently break into these properties, stealing cash, jewellery, and other valuables, setting weekly targets for the amount of gold to be stolen.
Cheshire Police discovered that the gang typically entered homes through the first floor, often using a ladder.
This method allowed them to avoid triggering some burglar alarm systems, which were only installed on the ground floor.
The homes were ransacked as the men searched for valuables, often ripping sheets off beds to use as makeshift bags to carry stolen items.
In CCTV footage, the gang was captured stealing an entire safe from one residence.
Endrit Nikolli (left) and Sidorjan Lleshi stole designer watches and handbags along with cash.
stories from Cheshire on the BBC, watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC , and follow BBC North West on X. Story ideas can also be sent via WhatsApp to 0808 100 2230.
