An Albanian burglary gang behind a £1million spree targeting wealthy homes in the UK has been jailed for a total of 38 years and nine months after using Google and Rightmove to plan raids.

Kristian Gropcaj, 31, George Pepa, 31, Krisjian Dedndreaj, 29, and Sidorjan Lleshi, 27, admitted their roles at Chester Crown Court, with the gang linked to 59 burglaries, including break-ins recorded in Cheshire, Cleveland, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and West Mercia. A fifth defendant, Endrit Nikolli, is due to be sentenced later.

Photos and floorplans

The court heard the gang first used Google to identify affluent postcodes before turning to Rightmove listings, using photos and floorplans to plan raids and ascertain if there were any potential valuables.

They typically broke into homes via first-floor windows using ladders to avoid alarm systems covering ground floors, before ransacking rooms and using bedding to carry stolen goods, including an entire safe.

The gang were finally caught after police recovered DNA from one burglary and matched a distinctive shoeprint found at multiple scenes, along with CCTV footage and ANPR data.

Targeted wealthy victims, with the aim of stealing as much high-value property as possible.”

Detective Sergeant Laura Fox, of Cheshire Police, told the BBC the gang were “members of a high-level organised crime gang” who “specifically targeted wealthy victims, with the aim of stealing as much high-value property as possible”.

Judge Patrick Thompson told the offenders they had been “stealing with no mercy”.

“You have taken something from them that cannot be replaced.”

He added: “You have taken their sense of security in their own homes and left them feeling vulnerable and uneasy.”

Photo: Chesire Police