Watch Thief Busted Down Under After Swiping Luxury Timepieces in Southsea
Joseph Crewe, 31, from Liverpool Road, Portsmouth, pulled off a high-stakes heist this January. He snatched nine Rolex watches and a Girard-Perregaux from a Southsea home. But his luck ran out when Rolex flagged one stolen watch sent to them for servicing.
International Police Chase Nabs Crewe in Australia
Hampshire Constabulary sprang into action, alerting global police and border forces to stop the watches leaving the country. Crewe was eventually detained thousands of miles away in Australia.
Australian Federal Police recovered four watches and tracked receipts for two more sold in Malaysia, sealing Crewe’s fate.
Serial Numbers Unlock the Case
“This case stresses the importance of registering the serial numbers of goods of value, on sites such as the free www.immobilise.com. We had no forensic evidence; our only line of enquiry was around the serial numbers on the watches,” said Detective Constable Charlie Cox.
Big shout-outs went to Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, Etihad Airlines, Rolex, Pristine Watches Knightsbridge, and Watches and Jewellery of Bond Street for their teamwork and help.
Crewe Gets Suspended Sentence
On Friday 11 May, Crewe pleaded guilty to burglary. He was handed a two-year suspended jail sentence and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work. The majority of the luxury watches have now been returned to their rightful owner.
