Burglars who used Rightmove to target homes and steal £1m of valuables jailed

A gang of burglars who used Rightmove and Google to plan dozens of break-ins at wealthy homes across the UK have been jailed.

The four men stole £1m worth of valuables, including designer watches and handbags, and even set weekly targets of how much gold they wanted to steal.

Kristian Gropcaj, 31, George Pepa, 31, and Krisjian Dedndreaj, 29, all from the West Midlands, and Sidorjan Lleshi, 27, from Sheffield, all pleaded guilty to the burglaries at Chester Crown Court.

They were given prison sentences between nine years and 10 years and nine months. Endrit Nikolli, 27, will be sentenced at a later date.

Jade Tubb, Nikolli's partner, of Walsall, also admitted conspiracy to possess criminal property and was handed a 12-month sentence, which was suspended for two years, and ordered to carry out 200 hours of community service.

Judge Patrick Thompson said the gang had been "stealing with no mercy", leaving their victims suffering paranoia and anxiety.

"You have taken something from them that cannot be replaced," he said.

"You have taken their sense of security in their own homes and left them feeling vulnerable and uneasy."

The court heard the men used Google to search for affluent postcodes to identify potential targets, before browsing Rightmove to research floorplans of various properties.

They would then break into the properties, stealing money, jewellery, and other valuables.

The gang, originally from Albania, were linked to eight burglaires in Cheshire, two in Middlesbrough, nine in Derbyshire, two in Leicestershire, five in Nottinghamshire, seven in Staffordshire, two in Warwickshire and three in Birmingham, three in Worcestershire, two in Hereford and one in Shropshire.

Cheshire Police discovered the gang typically broke into the homes through the first floor, often using a ladder.

This meant they could avoid triggering some burglar alarm systems which only covered downstairs floors.

The homes would be ransacked as the men searched for valuables and ripped sheets off beds to use as makeshift bags to carry stolen items.

In CCTV footage, they were captured stealing an entire safe from one home.

The breakthrough in the investigation came when Staffordshire Police recovered DNA from a burglary which was carried out in the same way.

A shoeprint would also prove to be a crucial part of the evidence after the same print turned up at several crime scenes.

While the trainers, which were sold in Primark, were common, the footprint the sole of the shoe left was unique.

The suspects were arrested in a series of raids that also saw officers seize goods including 13 designer handbags and 14 watches worth almost £17,000.

Det Sgt Laura Fox, from Cheshire Police, said the gang were all "members of a high-level organised crime gang responsible for at least 59 high value burglaries across the UK".

"The gang specifically targeted wealthy victims, with the aim of stealing as much high value property as possible.

"Nikolli, Gropcaj, Dedndreaj, Pepa and Lleshi were all responsible for conducting the burglaries, while Tubb was happy to spend their ill-gotten gains."

The full sentences were as follows: