Walthamstow jewellery thieves jailed

Marian Cercel, 53, and Ionut Craciun, 36, who both live in Walthamstow, were part of a gang linked to 27 burglaries in Cambridgeshire and Buckinghamshire where jewellery worth more than £130,000 was stolen

Two members of a burglary gang have been jailed for stealing jewellery worth thousands of pounds from properties across Cambridgeshire.

The gang began by targeting a property in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, on 12th November last year, where they attempted to steal a safe and other property they stowed in a case. However, the victim returned home and chased the burglars away empty-handed.

Undeterred, the gang went on to commit 16 further burglaries or attempted burglaries in Peterborough, nine in the Cambridge area and another in High Wycombe.

On each occasion they travelled from London to target properties they believed were unoccupied. They broke in and searched for jewellery and cash, often leaving other valuable items behind.

Included in the offences was a break in on 29th November 2025 where they stole jewellery worth £25,300 from a property in Eastfield, Peterborough.

They returned to the city on 19th December where they conducted their nineteenth offence – the highest value burglary of the spree.

They broke into a property in central Peterborough via a patio door and stole gold jewellery worth £72,000.

On 2nd January this year they once again targeted a property in the city – this time stealing jewellery worth £25,000 from a home in Dogsthorpe.

The gang’s crime spree came to an end on 7th January when a Ford Mondeo detectives had linked to them was spotted in the Cambridge area.

When the vehicle was stopped the three men were arrested and gold rings from a break in earlier that evening were found in the centre console – the only stolen property recovered from the burglaries.

Each of the men had the same Nokia 105 dual sim mobile phone, a handset they had purchased in batches to coordinate the offences.

An investigation revealed the gang regularly changed the vehicles they were using for the burglaries and insured them using false details.

They were linked to the crimes from CCTV footage, automatic number plate recognition software, phone data and forensic evidence from some of the scenes.

Both men were sentenced on Thursday, 6th August at Cambridge Crown Court after admitting conspiring to commit burglary with intent to steal.

Cercel, of Mount Pleasant Road, was jailed for seven years and two months, while Craciun, of Hatherley Road, was jailed for six years and nine months.

They also admitted knowingly entering the UK in breach of a deportation order.

DC Megan Sims said: “This was a sophisticated crime spree, with the gang going to significant lengths to avoid detection in what was a targeted and thoroughly planned operation.

“Much of what was stolen had great sentimental, as well as monetary, value and can never be replaced. The items were not merely possessions, and it is devastating for the victims.

“The crime series required a complex investigation involving multiple officers. It ultimately led to the gang being identified and receiving lengthy prison sentences for their actions.”

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