Alexandru Cercel was convicted of stealing almost £6,000 of alcohol, during a two-year crime spree which included a Tesco store in Maidstone.
Cercel had been wanted by several police forces for offences carried out between October 2021 and June 2023. He was part of a criminal gang which stole high value alcohol from shops in Kent, as well as other areas including Essex and Hertfordshire.
At Maidstone Crown Court, the 39-year-old pleaded guilty to seven counts of theft. A further 24 offences were taken into consideration. Cercel, of Homestead Road, Dagenham was sentenced on 17 November to two years’ imprisonment.
[block_2]PC Katie Blowers, of the Maidstone Victim Based Crime Team, said: ‘When Cercel was arrested at the Port of Dover he claimed he had only been in the country two weeks on holiday, visiting family and friends, and was simply travelling back home to Romania. The reality was very different. He was part of an organised criminal gang which relentlessly targeted shops to steal as much high-value alcohol as possible.
‘It is also likely that this case is the tip of an iceberg in terms of other possible offences involving Cercel. It is reassuring, therefore, to see the courts supporting our work to protect retailers by passing a significant custodial sentence.’
