Theft gang sentenced
A successful City of London Police operation which resulted in criminal gang sentenced to years in prison was covered by the Daily Mail, detailing how detectives dismantled the organised crime group.
Luke Stephen, 38, of Brentwood, Essex, was sentenced to 40 months imprisonment for stealing a suitcase with more than £100,000 worth of jewellery by Faberge, Cartier, Bulgari and Van Cleef and Arpels. Stephen and four other members of a gang, thought to have stolen millions of pounds worth of goods from hundreds of motorists in and around the Square Mile, were all sentenced at Inner London Crown Court
Investigations began after an emergency call from a woman who had returned to her silver Aston Martin to find her jewels stolen on 4th August, 2022, at an NCP car park in Bell Wharf Lane, near the River Thames. She had flown into London with her partner that day and had not had an opportunity to find a safer place for them. The theft was picked up by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) because of the value of the items stolen.
When Stephen’s home was raided, police seized his mobile phone and on it were messages sent between him and four other men, boasting of stealing goods from cars over a number of years – they even included pictures of some of the items they had stolen.
The men were arrested in simultaneous raids on 6th June last year. After seeing the evidence against them, the gang pleaded guilty.
