A gang of burglars which targeted Asian communities for their gold has been caught and jailed for over forty years. The gang operated in the Midlands, along the Welsh borders and in other areas across the UK. They are estimated to have stolen over £100,000 worth of gold after gaining access to the homes of numerous Asian families.
The robbers executed 37 thefts in total, going after gold jewellery and targeting the elderly and vulnerable in particular. They used stolen cars and obtained disguising gear from charity shops, including Beatles wigs. In addition, they would use bleach to wipe down homes after their raid to avoid detection.
Detective Inspector Lee Boycott, who worked on Operation Analogue to catch the criminals, said:
“We began to develop a picture of the offending group we were dealing with and realised they were organised and sophisticated,”
“I believe the gang gathered information on the houses and the people they wish to target. They were not opportunist thieves, but planned meticulously what they did.
“It soon became apparent that overt and covert policing tactics would be required to catch them.”
Police carried out surveillance on the ring, bugging one of their cars, and consequently overhearing a conversation in which the thief bragged about how much money he had, so much so he didn’t know what to do with it. One on them, Mark Bowen, 46, admitted to handling stolen goods and money laundering. He was also noted to have bought a £55,000 yellow Lamborghini in a midlife crisis.
Judge Niclas Parry said they had “caused great concern to the Asian community” and sentenced them to a combined 43 year and nine months.
