Distraction Thieves Jailed for Targeting Over 30 UK Businesses
Two distraction thieves have been locked up for robbing mobile phones from staff at more than 30 businesses across Kent and beyond. Maricel Stanescu and Ciprian Mihai, both 30, hit beauty salons, doctors’ surgeries, estate agents, and shops during a brief but relentless ten-day crime spree earlier this year.
Carefully Planned Phone Snatches Across South East England
Between 16 and 26 April 2019, the pair hit locations including Sevenoaks, Tunbridge Wells, Hawkhurst, Staplehurst, Maidstone, plus parts of Sussex and Surrey. Their tactic? One would enter a shop and distract staff by speaking in a foreign language, while flashing a leaflet to cover up the victim’s phone before snatching it.
Police Nab Suspects After Tracking Stolen Phones
Kent Police tracked a Volkswagen Passat linked to up to 35 thefts. The vehicle was stopped entering Tunbridge Wells on 26 April, with Stanescu from Beeston, Nottingham, and Mihai from Radford Road, Nottingham inside. Both denied wrongdoing at first, with Stanescu bizarrely claiming he didn’t even know where Kent was.
“It is likely Stanescu and Mihai both have links to an organised criminal network responsible for countless offences not just across the South East, but also in other countries.” — Detective Constable Tony Hatcher
Thieves Handed Prison Terms for Crime Spree
Facing Maidstone Crown Court, the pair pleaded guilty to conspiracy to burgle. On 12 July, Stanescu was sentenced to three years behind bars, while Mihai got 18 months. Detective Constable Tony Hatcher warned the duo were part of a wider organised crime syndicate, moving fast across counties to steal as many phones as possible.
The criminals exploited confusion by speaking foreign languages and brazenly entered private areas without permission. Small businesses were their prime targets in this bold blitz.
