A sophisticated gang of thieves who stole more than £2 million in jewels from a travelling salesman have been sentenced to prison. The trio, identified as Edgar Ardila-Ruiz, Monica Diaz, and Edward Florez-Ortiz, were part of a larger criminal group responsible for similar heists across the country.
The theft occurred on January 18, 2024, when the thieves tracked the salesman’s movements from Brighton to a petrol station in Wrotham, Kent. While the victim was distracted by Diaz, who engaged him in conversation, one of the men punctured his tire. Ardila-Ruiz then accessed the car’s boot and stole a bag containing an estimated £2.25 million worth of jewellery.
All three have now been jailed at Maidstone Crown Court. Florez-Ortiz was sentenced to six years, while Ardila-Ruiz and Diaz each received three years and six months. They will face further prosecution for other offences in England and Europe.
Detective Constable Leo Graham said:
‘Our investigation uncovered a wealth of evidence showing how all three offenders initially followed the victim on foot, before tailing his car. They waited patiently for the perfect opportunity to prey upon him and a later examination of his car led to the recovery of a metal item which had been inserted into the tyre by Florez-Ortiz. Ardila-Ruiz and Diaz were thankfully caught just weeks later, after following another salesman hundreds of miles away from Kent. These sentences are welcome, as it is clear they were part of a bigger network of organised criminality targeting victims throughout the country.’
Proceeds of Crime Act investigation
The offenders will now be the subject of a financial investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act, which aims to claw back any criminal gains they may have made.