A second gang of ‘tourist burglars’ are sent to prison
ASECOND South American ‘burglary tourist’ gang who came to Macclesfield to commit high value crime have been jailed.
Three men from Chile who targeted a home on Withinlee Road, Prestbury and stole expensive jewellery were sentenced to more than 13 years at Chester Crown Court.
Nicholas Oviedo, 26, Alexis Oviedo, 25 and Joel Ureta, 42, were part of an organised crime gang who arrived in the UK in January and carried out seven burglaries within two weeks.
All of them targeted homes in wealthy areas and their haul totalled around £120,000.
Last month Jorge Pinto Vallejos and Jamie Duarte Vera, also from Chile, were jailed for a string of burglaries including two at the Prestbury home of ex-Manchester United goalkeeper Thomas Kuszczak.
Police say this latest sentencing involved members of a different gang, whose crimes took place in Presbury, Alderley Edge, Wilmslow and Knutsford.
The trio set up base at a hotel in Manchester and hired a Mercedes Benz C-Class to use in the raids.
But their crime spree was ended when a member of the public heard an alarm following a burglary in Knutsford.
He saw two of them acting suspiciously and getting into the Mercedes so noted the registration and called the police.
Officers tracked the car and the gang, all of no fixed address, arrested.
An investigation by Macclesfield CID using phone records and number plate recognition linked the trio to at least seven burglaries.
All of them admitted seven counts of burglary and Nicholas Oviedo received a four-year prison sentence.
Alexis Oviedo and Ureta were both jailed for four years and eight months.
Speaking after the case Detective Inspector Adam Alexander, said:
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“They are all members of a sophisticated organised crime gang that travels the world intent on committing crime.
“The burglaries were carefully planned and the trio specifically targeted high-value homes with the aim of stealing valuable items, including jewellery, before fleeing the country.
“Thankfully, as a result of an eagle-eyed neighbour and the work of a dedicated team of detectives, they are now facing the consequences of their actions.
”Cheshire Police says it is working closely with agencies including Border Force and Manchester Airport to prevent further ‘burglary tourists’ coming to the area. Police and Crime Commissioner David Keane added: “The work of organised crime gangs does not only have a devastating impact on the victims of the crimes but also on the whole community.”
All three men will be deported to Chile once they have served their sentences.