Tesco shoplifting pair went on £30k nationwide spree
Police say Tesco played a key role in gathering the evidence
- Published
A man who stole nearly £30,000 worth of goods from Tesco stores across the country has been jailed.
Marian Oprescu, 27, who was sometimes joined by his partner Alexandra Radu, 24, stole cosmetics, alcohol and washing detergent.
On his worst day of offending, Oprescu stole almost £10,000 of products from three stores.
He was jailed at Nottingham Crown Court on Tuesday, while Radu's sentencing was deferred.
The pair, of Buckingham Street North, Scunthorpe, were caught after a police investigation was launched following a string of thefts at Tesco Extra in Jubilee Way South, Mansfield.
It was later found stores across multiple counties had been targeted including Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, Northumberland, Staffordshire, Gloucestershire, Warwickshire, Derbyshire, Cambridgeshire, Yorkshire and County Durham.
Radu’s offending was less prolific, police said
The couple would remove the security tags before leaving the stores without paying, police said.
On one occasion, Oprescu stole £7,000 worth of printer ink at a Tesco store in Northumberland on 20 March.
Radu's most prolific day was 15 August, when she and Oprescu stole approximately £3,000 worth of goods from two Tesco stores in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
They were arrested at their North Lincolnshire home on 6 September, with a haul of stolen items discovered during a house search.
Oprescu went on to plead guilty to 27 shop thefts worth approximately £25,000, while Radu, 24, pleaded guilty to seven shop thefts worth about £6,000.
Oprescu targeted the retailer on multiple occasions between February and August
He was jailed for two years and three months, while his partner's sentencing was deferred for six months.
Radu was told she would avoid a prison sentence if she committed no further offences before her next court appearance.
Sgt Louise Ellis said the investigation involved more than 200 hours of police work in collaboration with Tesco, which gathered evidence.
She said: "Together [the pair] caused significant harm to stores across the country and we are pleased to see them face the consequences of their persistent offending."
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