Three men jailed for £700,000 jewellery shop burglary spree

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 23 Oct, 19:44 · Archive

Three men have been jailed for more than £700,000 in burglaries after being caught tunnelling into a jewellers in south London.

Three men have been jailed for their involvement in a £700,000 burglary spree after being caught attempting to tunnel into a jewellers in south London. Ioan Asafeti, Laurentiu-Daniel Nitisoara and Sergiu Plastin pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary with intent to steal and cause criminal damage at Kingston Crown Court, where they were sentenced on Friday.

Police from the Met's Flying Squad discovered the men near a tunnel in Tooting in July after reports of a burglary just after 3am. They had knocked through a wall in a neighbouring massage parlour to access Selvaraja Gold House in Mitcham Road and steal watches and jewellery. Officers found tools and equipment used to break through the wall. The three men were caught at the scene: one was arrested in a nearby alleyway, another was found on a rooftop, and a third was later detained at Stansted airport attempting to flee the country.

Asafeti was sentenced to between four and four years ten months, Plastin to three years and four months, and Nitisoara to two years, totalling around ten years combined. Police confirmed the three were part of an organised crime group that had looted homes and businesses for months before they were caught.

How it is being reported

• Romanian gang linked to £700K burglary spree are jailed for just ten years after they were caught trying to tunnel into jewellery shopIoan Asafeti, 39, (pictured) Laurentiu-Daniel Nitisoara, 38, and Sergiu Plastin, 42, had stolen the goods after gaining access to Selvaraja Gold House in Mitcham Road, Tooting, in July.Daily Mail · 23 Oct, 19:32
• Thieves caught red handed when tunnelling into London jewellers are jailedIoan Asaefti, 39, Sergiu Plastin, 42, and Laurentiu-Daniel Nitisoara, 38, were all sentenced at Kingston Crown Court on Friday (Picture: Met Police) Thieves caught red handed as they tunnelled into a jewellers in London have been jailed after they pocketed more than £700,000 in burglaries as part…Metro · 23 Oct, 14:16

In this story: Ioan Asafeti · Laurentiu-Daniel Nitisoara · Sergiu Plastin · Selvaraja Gold House · Tooting · Kingston Crown Court · Stansted airport

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