A ‘professional’ Albanian burglar caught at Luton Airport as he tried to flee the UK with his loot has been jailed for six years for a £110,000 crime spree at five homes in affluent areas of Essex, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire.
Arkand Pitarka, 34, had almost £5,009 in cash as well as a substantial amount of jewellery with him when he was arrested at the Bedfordshire airport on December 12, 2023, Gloucester Crown Court heard on Friday (March 8).
Prosecutor Ian Fenny said it was quite clear that Pitarka had regularly been travelling in and out of the UK over a substantial period of time.
“There is no evidence that he had any community ties to this country or that he was engaged in lawful employment," said Mr Fenny.
Pitarka s DNA was found at the scenes of the five burglaries that he is known to have carried out in this country, the barrister added. He has criminal convictions in Germany, Sweden and Albania.
Pitarka would not tell