Burglars who came 7,300 miles to raid homes here
£118k HAUL OF ‘BURGLARY TOURISM’ GANG WHO FLEW IN FROM CHILE
CHILEAN gangsters who travelled 7,300 miles to raid Cheshire mansions and show-homes have been jailed.
Nicholas Oviedo, Alexis Oviedo and Joel Ureta were members of an organised crime gang who came to Britain with the sole aim of committing burglaries at highvalue properties.
They carried out at least seven carefully-planned burglaries across Knutsford, Alderley Edge, Wilmslow and Prestbury over 11 days. They helped themselves to goods worth more than £118,000 during their spree – described by detectives as a case of ‘burglary tourism.’
But the net finally closed in when a neighbour spotted them and called the police.
Nicholas Oviedo, 26, Alexis Oviedo, 25, and Ureta, 42, have now been jailed for a total of combined total of 13 years and four months. All three face deportation to South America once they are released.
After arriving in the country, the Oviedos and Ureta set up base at a hotel in Manchester and hired a car to help them commit their offences.
All three men, all of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to seven counts of burglary and were sentenced at Chester Crown Court.
Nicolas Oviedo received a fouryear prison sentence and Alexis Oviedo and Ureta each got four years and eight months.
Detective Inspector Adam Alexander said: “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 and hoping to evade justice.”
Detective Chief Inspector Clare Coleman said officers are working with Border Force and Manchester Airport, to help identify other potential offenders and stop them from coming into the country.
“Our officers are committed to doing all they can to identify offenders and stop them in their tracks,” she said. “I hope that this case acts as a warning to anyone who is planning on travelling to Cheshire to commit crimes. Our message to them is don’t make a wasted journey.”
Cheshire 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.”