Sisters jailed for £80,000 Gatwick duty free theft
Laura (left) and Georgina Epitropou admitted stealing duty free goods and selling them on
- Published
Two sisters have been jailed for stealing duty free items estimated to be worth a total of £80,000 in order to sell them on.
Laura Epitropou, 45 and Georgina Epitropou, 42, both from Crawley, West Sussex, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal at Lewes Crown Court on 7 August.
Laura Epitropou also admitted a charge of acquiring criminal property.
On Tuesday they were each sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
Most of the thefts took place at Gatwick Airport, with items such as perfumes and cosmetics then being sold online.
Some were also sold to specific purchasers, with Laura Epitropou taking 21 flights from Gatwick, mainly to Edinburgh, and her sister joining her on later flights.
They were arrested boarding a flight from Belfast to Gatwick carrying £2,000 in stolen items in their suitcase.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said bank records show the sisters had made £40,000 in 10 months.
The sisters committed most of their offences at Gatwick Airport
Daniel Cummins from the CPS said: “Despite claiming that they were in debt when they were arrested, it was clear that both sisters were living beyond their means and using these thefts to fund their lavish lifestyles, which included cosmetic surgery.
“They were stealing to order, putting significant planning into these thefts, deciding how many items to take and even lowering that number after Laura was arrested by Police Scotland with stolen goods in her possession.
“The women sold the stolen products at around half the price they retailed for, making thousands in the process through online marketplaces and sales to individuals.”
The pair face a proceeds of crime hearing in February 2025.
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