Gang jailed after being caught tunnelling in to jewellery shop

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A gang that attempted to tunnel into a jeweller’s in south London was linked to more than £700,000 of burglaries.

Members of an organised crime group were caught digging into a jewellery store on Mitcham Road in Tooting just after 3am on July 17.

Video footage recorded from body-worn cameras showed how the gang had broken into a massage parlour with the intention of tunnelling their way into the jewellers next door.

One suspect, Laurentiu-Daniel Nitisoara, was arrested by officers in a nearby alleyway, while Ioan Asafeti was handcuffed after being found hiding on a rooftop.

A third gang member, Sergiu Plastin, was detained later the same day as he attempted to flee the country on a flight to Ireland from Stansted, having been tracked by a flying squad to the Essex airport via mobile phone data.

Officers discovered a tunnel dug by gang members between a massage parlour and a jeweller’s in Tooting, south London (Picture: Metropolitan Police)

Officers found tools and equipment discarded by the gang, which were used to dig the passageway between the two shops.

The group were linked to more than £700,000 of burglaries from shops across the capital.

Enquiries through Interpol found the group had possible links to similar offences in Europe.

The trio appeared at Kingston Crown Court today after admitting in August to charges of conspiracy to commit burglary with intent to steal and cause criminal damage.

Asafeti, 39, was jailed for four years and 10 months, while Plastin, 42, was given a sentence of three years and four months.

Nitisoara, 38, was handed a two-year jail sentence.

Sergiu Plastin, Laurentiu-Daniel Nitisoara and Ioan Asafeti were all jailed after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary with intent to steal and cause criminal damage (Picture: Metropolitan Police/Press Association)

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DCI Craig Magee said: ‘Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: if you target London businesses, we’ll catch you, and you will face justice.

‘Our crackdown on thieves is delivering results. We’re driving down commercial burglary across the capital, with offences falling by 11 per cent in the past 12 months.’

According to Met Police figures, commercial burglaries fell by 10.7 per cent in the year to September, compared with the previous 12-month period.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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