Three Romanian women from a "professional" shoplifting gang have been jailed for a month-long string of raids across Suffolk and Norfolk stores. Ancuta-Alexandra Ion, 28, Grama Zorila, 31, and Ana Iosif, 28, targeted make-up and beauty counters in several supermarkets and high street stores across East Anglia, including in Bury St Edmunds, Thetford and King's Lynn. Norwich Crown Court heard the gang, which also included Denisa-Ionela Simion, 21, stole approximately £38,000 worth of goods.
They were finally caught in King's Lynn while driving two cars stuffed full of stolen gear. The women, who were based in London, are thought to have been part of a wider criminal network, for which they stole items to order. Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) Stephen Spence, prosecuting, described the gang as a "professional group of thieves" who had been involved in a "sophisticated, well-planned operation".
He said the women were "targeting specific stores and specific items" during the raids, carried out between May and June last year. Next store in King's Lynn (Image: Newsquest) Next, Sainsbury's and Boots in king's Lynn were all hit by the gang on May 30 last year with about £4,000 worth of cosmetics taken from each store. Boots store in King's Lynn (Image: Newsquest) Clothing was taken from the town's TK Maxx on the same day by the gang.
By that time, they had already carried out other raids in the region. These included Boots in Bury St Edmunds on May 26, Sainsbury'.