An East London couple, Vadar-ghimes and Zinca Agafitei, both aged 46, have been sentenced to two years and three months in prison for their role in a £48,000 jewelry theft spree. The couple, who pleaded guilty to three counts of theft, two counts of burglary, and one count of fraud by false representation, targeted shops across the UK between May 14 and July 29, 2024.
The Agafiteis, residents of Penge Road in Upton Park, stole gold chains, a Rolex watch, and bracelets from various locations in Warwickshire, Sussex, Wiltshire, Suffolk, and Norfolk. Their haul included £15,000 worth of gold chains from a shop in Thetford, Norfolk, an £11,500 Rolex from Warwickshire, and £20,000 worth of bracelets from Wiltshire. The couple employed distraction techniques, with Zinca Agafitei distracting shop staff while Vadar-ghimes snatched the items.
In one instance, the duo targeted an elderly woman in her 80s in Newmarket, Suffolk. CCTV footage showed the couple following the pensioner into a bank, where Vadar-ghimes watched her enter her PIN. Later, they used the woman’s card to withdraw £700.
Norfolk Police used CCTV evidence and covert operations to trace the pair to Cheshire. On October 17, they were intercepted by local officers and arrested. Both were sentenced at Norwich Crown Court on December 16, 2024.