‘Burglary tourists’ are sent to jail
APAIR of ‘ burglary tourists’ who came from South America to Macclesfield have been jailed in what is described as a landmark case.
Jorge Pinto Vallejos and Jamie Duarte Vera, from Chile, targeted wealthy areas and were caught trying to break into a house in Prestbury belonging to former Manchester United goalkeeper Tomasz Kuszczak, Chester Crown Court heard.
Part of an organised crime gang who came to the UK to steal from luxury homes, it was the second time they had targeted the address.
Kuszczak’s detached four-storey home was targeted twice by the gang, who removed a 100kg safe on their first visit, containing diamond bracelets and watches worth £80,000.
The burglars went back to the home on December 28 but by then he had installed motion detectors on his CCTV which they triggered when they entered the grounds, the court heard.
An alert was sent to the owner, who contacted a neighbour and police were called.
A search involving local officers and the National Police Air Service found Vallejos, 27, and Duarte Vera, 40, both of no fixed address, hiding in nearby gardens.
A rucksack was also found at Prestbury Golf Course containing burglary tools.
Forensics and phone records linked the pair to at least five burglaries in Prestbury, Alderley Edge and Wilmslow.
Upon arriving in the country the duo had claimed they were going to Cheshire for a long holiday.
Now Vallejos, has a 44 month jail sentence after admitting five counts of burglary and one of attempted burglary.
Duarte Vera pleaded guilty to three counts of burglary, one of attempted burglary and one of going equipped for theft and was jailed for 40 months.
Police say this was the first ‘tourism burglary’ case in Cheshire.
Detective Sergeant Simon Mills, who led the investigation, said: “They (the burglaries) were carefully planned with the pair specifically targeting high-value addresses and their aim was to steal as many valuable items as possible before fleeing the area, leaving the country and evading justice.
“In these five incidents alone they caused damage and stole property worth more than £170,000. Our enquiries have also established that stolen property was then being sent back oversea to contacts in Chile.
“The impact of their crime spree should not be underestimated.
“To know that somebody has targeted your home – a place you should feel safe in – broken in and rifled through your property before taking your personal possessions is absolutely sickening.”