Couple Imprisoned for £48,000 Jewellery and Cash Thefts

A pair has received a prison sentence of two years and three months after stealing a Rolex watch and other jewellery valued at more than £48,000. Vadar-ghimes Agafitei and Zinca Agafitei, both aged 46 and residing at Penge Road, South Norwood, London, pleaded guilty to three charges of theft and two charges of burglary. These admissions followed a series of incidents across Warwickshire, Sussex, Wiltshire, Suffolk, and Norfolk. In July, during one particular incident, the duo diverted the attention of a shop employee, enabling them to take gold chains valued at £15,000 from a retail establishment in Thetford. Sergeant Gary Morris of Norfolk Police expressed his hope that this “complex case” would serve as a warning, showing that individuals “travelling to this county to commit crime will be dealt with robustly”. Law enforcement officials stated that all five theft incidents occurred within the current year, specifically between May 14 and July 29. The initial theft involved the couple taking an £11,500 Rolex watch from a jewellery store in Warwickshire. One month subsequent to this, they took a £2,000 gold bracelet from a jewellery establishment in Sussex. Four weeks after that, in Wiltshire, Vadar-ghimes Agafitei deliberately toppled a display stand to divert the attention of a jewellery shop employee, enabling him to abscond with 10 bracelets valued at over £20,000. Four days prior to their theft at the Thetford shop, the couple acquired a bank card from an octogenarian woman in Newmarket, Suffolk. This occurred after they observed her inputting her PIN at an ATM. Subsequently, they withdrew £700 from her bank account. Norfolk Police reported employing clandestine methods to trace and pinpoint the individuals suspected, who were apprehended in October on the M6 motorway in Cheshire. They were transported to the King’s Lynn Police Investigation Centre for interrogation, then subsequently charged and held in custody. The duo received their sentences at Norwich Crown Court. Sergeant Morris stated: “This was a complex case where the offenders have travelled far and wide, often changing vehicles and locations to try and avoid detection. My thanks go out to the investigating officer, PC Luke Brown, along with the other forces involved. As a result of their efforts, the pair have been caught and will now serve custodial sentences.” Vadar-ghimes Agafitei additionally admitted guilt to a charge of fraud by false representation.