Chilean gang members who flew in to UK to commit burglary in South London are jailed
A gang of four Chilean burglars who made trips to South London just to steal were caught posing for pictures with their haul – and were wearing some of it when they were arrested in a van full of the tools of their trade.
Danko Esteban Carvajal-Donaire, 20, Nicolas Portilla-Astorga, 27, Claudi Donoso, 20 and Jorge Daniel Rojas, 22, all of no fixed address, were convicted of conspiracy to commit burglary and going equipped to steal at Kingston Crown Court on Tuesday.
They were each sentenced to 40 months’ imprisonment.
The court heard that the four were believed to be part of an organised criminal network, entering the UK exclusively to commit offences before returning home.
Police were called at around 6pm on October 11 last year after residents of a house in Wimbledon returned home to find a large quantity of distinctive jewellery had been stolen.
A suspicious vehicle, a black Honda HR-V had been seen nearby and was stopped four days later on Tuesday, October 15 in Linkfield Lane, Redhill.
The four were arrested on suspicion of burglary and going equipped to steal – after officers found gloves, torches, a screwdriver and a glass-breaker.
Police found photographs advertising jewellery for sale, including the jewellery stolen on October 11.
A photograph of Carvajal-Donaire and Portilla-Astorga showed them wearing stolen items, while officers would also discover that Rojas was wearing a distinctive necklace, stolen during the same burglary, at the time of his arrest.
Messages in Spanish revealed the sale of the stolen property was being arranged by the defendants.
All four men pleaded guilty and were remanded in custody.
Acting Detective Sergeant Harry Doyle said: “This case concerns organised criminals entering the UK for the sole purpose of committing high-value burglary offences.
“Due to the rapid identification of their criminal methods, the robust response by colleagues in Surrey Police and the thoroughness of the subsequent investigation, these offenders are now safely behind bars.
“I am pleased with the sentences passed by the judge, which reflect the level of criminality involved. The Metropolitan Police, alongside our colleagues in other areas of law enforcement, stand ready to deal robustly with individuals who enter the country in order to commit crime.
“This case demonstrates that we will use the full extent of our operational capability and our powers in law to provide a hostile environment for such individuals to operate within.”
Top picture: Kingston Crown Court, Carvajal-Donaire, Portilla-Astorga, Donoso and Rojas