Three men from London who broke into homes in Kent and stole more than £37,000 worth of items have been jailed.
The burglars were caught by police after a quick response from officers in Kent and Surrey.
The men, Jorge Bravo, Jorge Espinoza and Williams Jean-Michel Andres, travelled from London to Kent in a Ford Focus on 8 November 2022. They smashed windows to enter two houses near Maidstone Road, Borough Green and Field Mill Road, Egerton near Ashford. They took expensive watches, rings, tablets, cameras and bank cards from the properties.
The gang also targeted a third house in Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire, where they stole more items.
Investigators from the Kent Crime Squad identified the Ford Focus as being linked to the crimes and alerted other forces.
The burglars were stopped by Surrey police officers near Hammersmith as they left the county. All three men were arrested and the stolen property was recovered from the vehicle.
Detectives also searched an address in London that the men were using and found more stolen items.
The trio pleaded guilty to burglary charges at Maidstone Crown Court.
On Thursday 27 July 2023, Bravo was sentenced to two years and six months in prison; Espinoza was jailed for one year and Andres received one year and eight months in prison.
Investigating officer, Detective Constable Josh Littley, said: ‘This was an organised crime gang intent on plundering properties in Kent for expensive items before heading back to London. They thought they could travel into the county without detection but some swift investigation allowed colleagues from a neighbouring force to effectively bring them to justice.
‘The value of property they stole from three addresses amounted to more than £37,000. I am pleased we were able to return some of the items to the victims and that these criminals are now safely behind bars.’