Asian gold gang jailed for burglaries in north Wales

A gang that targeted gold at the homes of wealthy Asian people across parts of north Wales, Shropshire, Merseyside and Cheshire has been jailed.

Nine members of the organised crime group were arrested following a joint investigation by North Wales and Cheshire Police.

Nearly 40 burglaries were carried out, with the stolen gold and goods worth over £100,000 taken.

The gold was the focus of thefts due to its high purity - and high value.

Mold Crown Court heard that police carried out surveillance before swooping on the gang in 2015.

The hearing was told the offenders would visit charity shops to buy clothes and trainers - and even Beatles-style wigs - before embarking on planned burglary expeditions.

"We began to develop a picture of the offending group we were dealing with and realised they were organised and sophisticated," said Det Insp Lee Boycott, who helped lead Operation Analogue.

"I believe the gang gathered information on the houses and the people they wish to target. They were not opportunist thieves, but planned meticulously what they did.

"It soon became apparent that overt and covert policing tactics would be required to catch them."

The operation even involved bugging one gang member's car, with one of the conspirators overheard bragging he had so much money he did not know what to do with it.

The thieves would use stolen or cheap cars to cover their tracks, while using bleach to wash down crime scenes to avoid detection.

"Their methods were carefully planned and sophisticated," prosecutor John Philpotts told the sentencing hearing.

Sentencing the nine men, Judge Niclas Parry said they had "caused great concern to the Asian community".

The gang:

• John Purcell, 24, of King's Road, Connah's Quay, admitted involvement is 13 burglaries where nine Asian families were targeted and was jailed for five years

• Michael McGuire, 47, of Homestead Lane, Wrexham, was involved in 22 burglaries. He had a previous conviction for conspiring to burgle and he was jailed for six and a half years

• Kevin Joseph McGuire, 34, of Blackburn, involved towards the end of the conspiracy, also received six and a half years

• John James Purcell, 29, of Ruthin Road Caravan Site in Wrexham, involved in nine burglaries, received six years

• Stephen Berry, 18 but 17 at the time, who comes from Wrexham, received two years youth detention. He was involved in 16 burglaries

• Francis McGuire, 32, of Bryn Golau, north Wales, involved in seven burglaries over two days, got five and a half years

• Miles Berry, 24, of King's Road, Connah's Quay, received five years

• Miles Delaney, 32, of the Ruthin Road Caravan Site, was cleared of the conspiracy but admitted two burglaries. He had previously been jailed for seven years for a burglary conspiracy and received five years

• Mark Bowen, 46, of Western Avenue, Whittington, Oswestry, admitted handling stolen goods and money laundering. Described as a legitimate businessman, who was said to have bought a £55,000 yellow Lamborghini in a mid-life crisis, received a 27 month sentence

'Life has changed'

Dr Farookh Jishi, a retired surgeon and leading member of the Asian community in north east Wales, said the burglaries had left people scared in their own homes.

"It has caused a lot of fear and apprehension," he said.

"You know, just going out for a short time to pick children up from school and things, you don't know what to expect when you get back home.

"People have stopped keeping jewellery at home and hire safe deposit boxes.

"Day-to-day life has changed."

Speaking after the sentencing, Det Insp Giles Pierce from Cheshire Police added: "Burglary is a despicable crime as it targets people in the one place they should feel safest-in, their own home. We take any incidents of this nature extremely seriously and the sentences passed down today reflect that."