Middlesbrough store targeted by Asda nappy gang which stole haul of £160,000 goods in national spree
The Romanian gang swiped items including thousands of nappies stolen in raids on 81 stores across the country
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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.
Moment Asda nappy gang shamelessly plunder shelves in 81 supermarket crime spree
They targeted 81 supermarkets around the country
06:48, 14 APR 2021
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CCTV footage shows a Birmingham man and his Asda gang of thieves plunder a branch of the supermarket during a 81-store crime spree.
Gabriel Mocanu, aged 36, and Marius Meiosu, aged 25, both of Darwin Street in Oldham, stole high value items alongside Nicolea Ilea, aged 36, of Whitehall Road in Birmingham, Florin Costea, aged 51, of Darwin Street, Alin Mahai, aged 27, of Belvidere Road in Liverpool, and Stefan Florin, aged 31, of no fixed address.
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An Oldham-based Romanian crime gang, who stole more than £160,000 worth of items from supermarkets across the UK, have been jailed.
Nicolea Ilea, aged 36, Alin Mahai, 27, Florin Costea, 51, Stefan Florin, 31, Marius Meiosu, 25, and Gabriel Mocanu, 36, all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal and were sentenced at Chester Crown Court yesterday (Tuesday).
They were each sentenced to 42 months in prison.
The court heard that the gang travelled across the country stealing high value items from supermarkets, primarily targeting Asda stores.
Their crime spree began on Wednesday, April 29, 2020, when Mahai and Ilie targeted the Asda Great Bridge Supercentre in Tipton, West Midlands.
Nicolea Ilea, Alin Mahai, Florin Costea; Gabriel Mocanu; Stefan Florin and Marius Meiosu (Cheshire Police) A crime gang who stole more than £160,000 worth of items from supermarkets, including locations in Accrington and Rawtenstall have been jailed. The court heard that the gang of Romanian background travelled across the country stealing high value items from supermarkets, primarily targeting Asda stores. Nicolea Ilea, 36, of Birmingham; Alin Mahai, 27, of Liverpool; Florin Costea, 51 of Oldham; Stefan Florin, 31, of HMP Risley; Marius Meiosu, 25, and Gabriel Mocanu, 36, both of Oldham all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to steal and were sentenced at Chester Crown Court on Tuesday 13 April. They were each sentenced to 42 months in prison.