Romanian Crime Gang Jailed for High-Value UK Burglaries
Twelve men from Romania have been locked up for masterminding a slick burglary ring targeting commercial warehouses across the UK. The gang carried out a string of carefully planned raids, stealing millions worth of goods, including priceless rare books.
Savvy Burglars Fly In, Loot, and Skip Out
The organised crime group (OCG) operated from December 2016 to April 2019. Using flights, they flew members into the UK to hit specific targets, then flew them out post-raid. Meanwhile, others smuggled the stolen goods out using various transport methods. Their crime spree stretched nationwide, hitting hotspots including Peterborough, Hertfordshire, Sheffield, Feltham, and Enfield.
The thieves broke in through roofs, cutting holes and using ropes and ladders to dodge alarms and CCTV. Their hauls included high-value tech like smartphones and laptops, plus a trove of rare, internationally significant books. Some artefacts belonged to dealers prepping for a US book fair – including works linked to Newton, Goya, and Galileo.
Massive Cross-Border Police Sting Brings Gang Down
Scotland Yard’s Specialist Crime South led a high-level investigation starting in 2017, teaming up with Romanian National Police, Italian Carabinieri, Europol, and Eurojust. In June 2019, coordinated raids hit 45 locations across the UK, Romania, and Italy, nabbing suspects and recovering the buried rare books in Romania.
Detective Inspector Andy Durham said: “This concludes a complex three-year probe that identified a previously unknown Romanian organised crime gang. For over two years, this gang caused huge losses and even forced some warehouses to close. I’m proud of the Met, Romanian, and Italian police collaboration for ending their offending.”
Prison Sentences for Crime Network
The 12 men were convicted of conspiracy to commit burglary and to conceal stolen property, linked to 12 offences totaling around £4.5 million in stolen goods.
- Vasille Ionel Pragina, 28 – 3 years 8 months
- Marian Mamaliga, 34 – 4 years
- Liviu Leahu, 39 – 3 years 8 months
- Daniel David, 37 – 3 years 7 months
- Paul Popeanu, 35 (Hemel Hempstead) – 3 years 3 months
- Gavril Popinciuc, 45 – 5 years 8 months
- Cristian Ungureanu, 41 (extradited from Italy) – 5 years 1 month
- Narcis Popescu, 34 – 4 years 2 months
- Traian-Daniel Mihulca, 32 – 4 years
- Marian Albu, 41 (Harrow) – 4 years
- Victor Opariuc, 29 – 3 years 7 months
- Ilie Ungureanu, 33 (extradited from Germany) – 3 years 8 months
Links to Infamous Romanian Crime Families
Authorities linked the gang to the notorious Clamparu crime group from Eastern Romania’s Iasi region, known for high-value thefts but usually evading justice by offending abroad. This operation marks a major crackdown on their UK activities.
Inside the Biggest Raids
The gang’s first strike hit a Peterborough warehouse in December 2016, stealing £200,000 worth of tech after cutting through neighbouring walls. Months later, they targeted a freight warehouse in January 2017, snatching 200 culturally valuable books. Using clever entry tactics, they avoided triggering motion sensors and spent over five hours inside loading the loot into holdalls – stolen from the same depot.
Key gang members flew repeatedly into the UK from Iasi, with some arriving from Germany and Italy to assist the operation. The rare books were eventually smuggled out via Eurotunnel concealed in a van, underscoring the brazen, international scale of their crime.
