A gang of thieves who used property listings on Rightmove along with online searches to identify high-value homes across the UK have been jailed.
The group carried out a series of burglaries targeting affluent properties and stole around £1 million worth of items including designer watches, handbags and cash.
Christian Gropkaj, 31, George Pepa, 31, Christian Dedendrias, 29, all from the West Midlands, and Sidorjan Leleshi, 27, from Sheffield, admitted their roles in the crimes at Chester Crown Court. They were sentenced to prison terms ranging from nine years to ten years and nine months. A fifth defendant, Andrit Nikoli, 27, will be sentenced at a later date.
The court heard the group had used Google to identify wealthy areas before turning to Rightmove to check property listings, including floorplans, to help plan the heist.
Judge Patrick Thompson said the criminals showed “no mercy” in targeting their victims, leaving lasting emotional effects on them. He said they had taken away the victims’ sense of security in their own homes.
The gang were linked to at least 59 burglaries in areas including Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Staffordshire. The properties were often entered through the upper floors using ladders, allowing the group to bypass some alarm systems.
Once inside, homes were searched for valuables, with stolen goods often transported using bedding taken from the properties. In one case, CCTV captured the group removing an entire safe.
Police linked the crimes through forensic evidence, including DNA recovered from one scene and distinctive shoe prints found at several locations.
Detective Sergeant Laura Fox of Cheshire Police described the group as a “high-level organized crime gang” targeting wealthy victims with the intention of stealing high-value goods.