BBC News
Published
image captionThe gang primarily targeted Asda in their crime spree
Six men who stole more than £160,000 worth of items from supermarkets, by setting off alarms to distract security guards, have been jailed.
The gang, based in Oldham, Greater Manchester, mainly targeted Asda stores for high-value items including perfume, alcohol, cosmetics and thousands of nappies.
They committed 81 separate offences across the UK to avoid being caught, Cheshire Police said.
The men were each jailed for 42 months.
Nicolae Ilie, 37, Alin Mihai, 28, Florin Costea, 52, Stefan Florin, 31, Marius Meirosu, 25, and Gabriel Mocanu, 36, who were originally from Romania, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal at Chester Crown Court.