£120k Cash, Rolex Watches, Gold Jewellery and Caravans Seized in Operation to Crackdown on Gold Jewellery Burglaries

Cleveland Police officers launched an operation to target issues with thefts of gold jewellery from family homes across Cleveland.

The operation titled Operation Gillingham was launched yesterday and resulted in eight people being arrested as well a large amount of items seized including two caravans, Rolex watches, gold jewellery, a handgun and £120,000 in cash.

Properties across Cleveland were targeted including one in North Yorkshire. Officers from North Yorkshire Police assisted in their patch for the operation.

Speaking of the operation T/Detective Sergeant Jonny Christie said: “A small minority of our community is impacted by theft of gold from their homes but it is important that we take action to crack down on individuals who target these addresses to benefit financially.

“Gold is highly desirable by criminals because of its value and the speed and anonymity in which it can be exchanged for cash.

“It is vitally important that families who possess valuable gold items in their homes ensure they take the right measures to ensure their items are protected to prevent themselves from becoming a victim.

“We recommend that as well as storing jewellery out of sight and making sure your home is secure, you must also:

• Consider securing jewellery in a Safety Deposit Centre, registered with the Financial Conduct Authority.
• Photographing all items and registering them securely with immobilise.comto reduce thieves’ ability to sell them
• Property marking your jewellery to deter theft and increase your chances of getting items back
• Installing a concealed and immovable safe: There are two options – either a home safe or a safety deposit vault.

“Yesterday’s operation was a huge success and we will continue to clamp down on this area of crime to protect the people and their belongings from being targeted.”

Three men aged 17, 19 and 31 were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit burglary and have been released with bail conditions. Five men aged between 22 and 51 were arrested on suspicion of money laundering and have been released pending enquiries.