Gang's £2m 250-burglary haul revealed by police
Rolex watches, diamond rings and coins are among "thousands of items" police are hoping to reunite with their owners after a gang responsible for 250 burglaries was jailed.
The 12-man extended-family gang stole jewellery, cash, cars and guns worth a total of £2m across five counties in an 11-month crime spree. The haul included a Kuwait War medal, saddles, power tools and cameras. Cambridgeshire Police are appealing for their owners to get in touch. Ten gang members admitted conspiracy to commit burglary or were found guilty in 2018, at Norwich Crown Court. Two others were found guilty of handing stolen goods. The "prolific criminal gang" broke into homes and businesses and stole cash machines across Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. The burglary rate in Norfolk halved after the gang, aged 20 to 55, was arrested in December 2017, police said. The gang favoured homes in rural areas, where they could make easy getaways and stole high-performance vehicles to give themselves a better chance of out-running police. Detectives said those who believe any of the items belongs to them should get in touch with their details, including a crime number and proof of purchase or photographs. The nine convicted over the burglaries were: Simon Oakley, 45, of Alburgh Road, Hempnall, Norfolk, was also found guilty of conspiracy to burgle in November. Brothers Thomas Pateman, 54, of Fen Road, Chesterton, Cambridgeshire and James Pateman, 55, of Woollensbrook, Hoddesdon, Hertfordshire were found guilty of handing stolen goods.