Romanian gang member jailed for eight years for his part in £3m jewellery store burglaries

A gang member has been jailed for eight years for his part in a series of 11 jewellery store raids across England where more than £3.1m was stolen.

Cosmin Moraru, aged 25, of Spring Grove, Naden Road, Birmingham, was sentenced to six years seven months for conspiracy to commit burglaries and 18 months for conspiracy to commit arson at jewellers spanning nine counties.

The sentencing today (March 30) at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court followed an earlier (March 17) sentencing where six other members of the gang received a total of 47 years in jail for conspiracy to burgle.

The offences, which included a £400,000 raid on Beaverbrooks in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, were committed between November 2015 and September 2016.

Jewellery, including watches, rings, necklaces and other items were stolen from branches of Beaverbrooks, Fraser Hart, Goldsmiths and independent jewellers in a series of 11 raids described as ‘meticulously planned’ by the detective running the investigation.

Detective Chief Inspector Ricky Fields, of Staffordshire Police’s Force Safeguarding and Investigation (North), became involved in the investigation after a branch of Beaverbrooks was raided in the early hours of 10 March, 2016 in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent.

A total of £400,000 worth of watches were stolen during the break-in. Sledgehammers were used to gain entry to the shop and a fire was also set to hamper the efforts of emergency services.

DCI Fields said the group had set fire to cars and car tyres, as well as property as a distraction and also tied industrial cables across roads to block routes to emergency services in many of their burglaries.

The investigating team from Staffordshire Police linked up with officers from several other Forces after it was established that raids had also taken place at the following locations:

• 21 November 2015 – Fraser Hart, Milton Keynes
• 31 December 2015 – Goldsmiths, Oxford
• 9 February 2016 – Chris Shan Jewellers, Lancashire
• 10 March 2016 – Beaverbrooks, Stoke-on-Trent
• 7 April 2016 – Beaverbrooks, Basingstoke, Hampshire
• 20 June 2016 – Breitling store, Bluewater, Kent
• 26 July 2016 – Ernest Jones, Portsmouth
• 5 August 2016 – Montblanc, Bicester Village, Oxfordshire
• 23 August 2016 – Ernest Jones, Derby
• 25 August 2016 – Fraser Hart, Peterborough
• 7 September 2016 – Poel Jewellers, Stratford-upon-Avon

DCI Fields added: "This was a complex investigation which spanned other police force areas including Thames Valley, Hampshire, Kent, Cambridgeshire, Lancashire, Derbyshire and Warwickshire and was supported by the National Crime Agency and West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit and Romanian authorities.

“This was a highly organised Romanian crime group who, thanks to great partnership working between all forces, we were able to bring to justice. Police officers across the country have worked tirelessly and diligently to achieve this result today in Court.

“I hope the sentences handed out to these men send out a strong message - Staffordshire Police, along with other forces, will not tolerate such crime in our communities and we will take positive action against those involved."