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A ruthless gang of burglars linked to an astonishing 400 break-ins have been jailed for a total of 27 years - after stealing cash and valuables worth millions of pounds.

The five Romanians travelled from their homeland to plunder houses across Birmingham and parts of West Mercia, Staffordshire and Gloucestershire, in seasonal crime sprees.

Catalin Zaharia and Constantin Stoian, both aged 30, Marian Molocia, 27, Daniel Stoean, 35 and 28-year-old Florina Spiru – Zaharia’s wife – targeted properties in affluent areas on the hunt for cash and jewellery.

Asian gold jewellery, designer clothes and watches were all swiped in the raids then taken back to Romania, where the crooks enjoyed the trappings of their criminal enterprise.

Other property was stored at an address in Oldbury - described as an 'Aladdin's cave' of stolen goods.

(Image: WMP)

In the face of compelling evidence gathered by West Midlands Police, Zaharia, Stoian, Molocia and Stoean admitted conspiracy to burgle.

Spiru was not actively involved in the break-ins but instead acted as group ‘admin’ and helped launder their ill-gotten gains.

She was found guilty of money laundering after a trial but cleared of the burglary charge.

Today, at Birmingham Crown Court, the gang were jailed for a total of 27 years and four months.

Judge Laurence Creed QC sentenced Zaharia to eight years in jail; Mulochia to six years and four months; Stoean to four years; Stoian to four-and-a-half years and Spiru to four-and-a-half-years.

(Image: WMP)

The court heard evidence from devastated victims, who told how they had been left feeling unsafe in their own homes following the raids.

One victim whose home was attacked and Christmas presents stolen said: "Since the break-in of our property our children have been devastated.

"Their home should have been their safe haven.

"I had jewellery given to me from grandparents which can never be replaced. They ransacked my bedroom and my children's bedroom.

"I go round checking doors 20 times over.

(Image: WMP)

"My husband had his wedding ring stolen. It is going to take a very long time to feel safe again."

Another victim had her property attacked in Sutton Coldfield and jewellery was taken.

She said: "My bedroom and personal space was invaded.

"Even today I have flashbacks.

"I am still left out of pocket. The biggest impact has been emotional."

(Image: WMP)

One victim spoke to BirminghamLive just days after their Castle Bromwich house was targeted in a raid last year.

Businessman Muhammad Imran Binali had six pairs of trainers, three Armani jackets, two Dolce and Gabbana watches and a metal safe containing keys and a passport taken by the gang.

He said: "I would consider myself lucky. I am not elderly or vulnerable.

"The pair of them climbed the seven-foot gates to my home, then ran round the back where they dragged a heavy bench and dropped it under my bedroom window.

"One of the thieves gave the other a leg up and they managed to get into my bedroom window.

(Image: WMP)

"The thief then ripped sheets off my bed and threw them from the window so the other could climb in - i've never seen anything like it before."

Photographs uncovered by police officers who examined their mobile phones show one gang member lying on a bed of cash.

Another showed them with a top-of-the-range BMW MS Sport and wearing jewellery plundered in one of their raids.

The 'ruthlessly organised' gang scoped out homes in affluent areas, waited until nightfall and then struck when the houses appeared unoccupied.

(Image: WMP)

CCTV released by West Midlands Police shows Zaharia – the group’s ringleader – clambering up a bed sheet thrown by Molocia from a first floor window of a home in Castle Bromwich.

It's believed they struck at hundreds of homes between 2014 and December 10, 2018, when West Midlands Police swooped in to arrest the gang at the Oldbury address.

Officers made a breakthrough on September 24, 2018, when West Midlands Police traffic cops monitoring an uninsured car on the M6 watched as a bag containing jewellery, stolen from a home in Solihull, was thrown from a window.

Zaharia was arrested from the vehicle and his DNA taken.

That forensic profile was later matched to a blood stain found at a burglary and, as investigators probed potential links with other burglaries, scrutiny of CCTV at more break-ins revealed Zaharia as the likely offender.

Police intelligence linked Zaharia to an address in McKean Road, Oldbury, and on December 10 cops executed a warrant at the house where all five were detained.

(Image: WMP)

A large amount of cash and stolen jewellery was also recovered – including £20,000 in Spiru’s handbag – alongside burglary ‘paraphernalia’ including several pairs of rubber grip gloves and tools.

West Midlands Police Sergeants Sam Altaf and Sandy Thompson led the investigation.

Sgt Thompson said: “This group has been responsible for untold heartache, worry and inconvenience among hundreds of residents across the region. It’s one of the biggest burglary conspiracies we’ve ever seen in the West Midlands.

"We’ve linked them directly to 100 burglaries where £65,000 and property valued at £800,000 was taken – but we suspect they’ve committed far more offences and taken cash and valuables worth millions of pounds. Four or five hundred is a conservative estimate.

"They were ruthlessly organised: they would scope out homes in affluent areas, wait till nightfall and strike at addresses with the lights off that appeared unoccupied. They always broke in via first floor windows to avoid alarm sensors on the ground floor, to get straight into bedrooms where valuables were likely to be kept and even took jewellery testing kits with them to test the purity of gold items at the scene.

"The group made regular money transfers to family members back home via Oldbury post office and other outlets. We also found lots of photos showing friends and family in Romania posing in expensive jewellery taken from homes in our communities.

"This was a challenging investigation as none of the five were on the radar of law enforcement in the UK until Zaharia was arrested in autumn 2017. That helped us link him to several burglaries and begin to understand the extent of the burglary conspiracy and the others involved.

"We suspect other people from Romania were also involved in the plot and we are working with the Romania authorities in a bid to bring others to justice."