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Two men have been sentenced to jail after stealing £50,000 worth of mobile phones and cash in a series of audacious distraction thefts carried out under the guise of being ‘lost tourists’.
Florin Petrache, 34, and Gabriel Stanescu, 22, targeted various businesses, including beauty salons, estate agents, dental surgeries, and even a library, across several counties. Petrache posed as an Italian tourist named Mario, claiming he needed help translating documents. Using this ruse, he would cover his victims’ phones or wallets with a piece of paper or leaflet and then use sleight of hand to steal them. Stanescu waited outside in a car, ready to drive them away immediately after the thefts.
The two were eventually caught after a victim managed to note down the number plate of their getaway car, leading to their arrest by police.
Court Proceedings
Petrache, who was based in the Great Yarmouth area of Norfolk, was sentenced to two years in jail after admitting to eight counts of theft at Norwich Crown Court. He also asked for 31 other offences to be taken into consideration.
Stanescu, from Ipswich, Suffolk, received a 21-month jail term after pleading guilty to six theft charges, with an additional 27 offences taken into account.
Arrest and Investigation
The duo was arrested on March 12 this year on the A149 between North Walsham and Cromer in Norfolk. This came after they stole a mobile phone from a business in Dersingham, where the victim had noted the registration of their green Lexus. When police stopped the vehicle, they found several handsets that matched those reported stolen that day, as well as others taken in previous thefts.
Investigations revealed their crime spree had spanned Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, and the Thames Valley area in February and March of this year. Petrache had also been responsible for a similar wave of thefts in October 2020. Stanescu denied involvement in these earlier crimes, claiming he had been in Romania at the time.
Police and Public Reaction
Sgt Holly Metcalf and PC Vicky Sweetland, who led the investigation, said in a statement: “This was a complex and detailed investigation across different forces with multiple victims, CCTV, and eyewitnesses providing evidence going back four years. These types of offences are a stark reminder to keep your valuables out of sight and be aware when using expensive items in public.
Operation Converter supervisor Duncan Etchells added: “Petrache and Stanescu were prolific offenders who locked onto the fact most unsuspecting people have their phones close to them at work as they go about their daily business. With many handsets now worth over £1,000, it is easy to become a target. With both now behind bars, the number of phones stolen will be reduced.
