A gang who plotted and carried out a string of burglaries in Croydon have been jailed for a combined total of 50 years.
The gang’s eight members were jailedat Croydon Crown Court on Monday with sentences ranging from 16-and-a-half years to a year for their roles in the operation.
The court heard how the gang targeted betting shops, cash and carry warehouses and off-licences at weekends between September 5 2018 and March 13 2022.
It consisted of Croydon men Erfan Badita, 28; Marian Durla, 27; Sarok Sarhad, 23; Albert Meliteanu, 20; Alexandru Nastase, 24; Claudiu Durla, 23; Cristian Alexandru Durla, 20; and Nicolai Lucian Zaharia, 34.
The gang broke into the businesses before breaking into safes or taking it away with them, destroying burglar alarms and cutting power supplies before fleeing with the cash.
In one warehouse robbery, members of the gang waited until a member of staff was closing up, and attacked him, demanding the keys, which he did not have.
Unable to locate the keys to access the property, they robbed the man of the case in his wallet and left him cable tied and beaten.
The operation was foiled when police caught the group robbing a betting shop in Croydon’s Church Street while under surveillance.
Badita, who police believe was the ringleader, was involved in every offence. He had sent around £47,000 in suspected criminal proceeds back to his home country of Romania.
Meanwhile, a raid on Sarhad’s home uncovered a large quantity of cannabis along with weighing scales and drug dealing paraphernalia.
Detective Sergeant Paul Bartlett of the Met’s Flying Squad said: “This gang were organised and ruthless in their goal of parting business owners from their cash.
“But the effects of their crimes ran far deeper than a loss of money for the victims – the damage they caused to buildings and security systems when they broke in was an added expense; not to mention the psychological effects suffered by victims of crime that can be traumatic and long lasting.
“I have no doubt that if we hadn’t caught them, they would still be victimising hard working legitimate businesses today.”
Badita was sentenced to 16-and-a-half years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit burglary; robbery; possession of CS Spray; and transferring criminal property.
Marian Durla was sentenced to eight-and-a-half year’s imprisonment for conspiracy to commit burglary. He was also found guilty of robbery.
Sarhad was sentenced to three-and-a-half years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit burglary and possession with intent to supply cannabis.
Meliteanu was sentenced to five-and-a-half years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit burglary and robbery.
Nastase was given a year for conspiracy to commit burglary, possession of a stun gun and CS gas.
Claudiu Durla was given an eight-and-a-half year jail sentence for conspiracy to commit burglary. He was also found guilty of robbery.
Cristian Alexandru Durla was sentenced to five-and-a-half years’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit burglary. He was also found guilty of robbery.
Zaharia was handed a one-year sentence after being found guilty of conspiracy to commit burglary.
