New-build thefts spread across ten British counties
Four Moldovan nationals aged between 19 and 26 have been sentenced in the United Kingdom after carrying out 449 new-build thefts across ten counties. The group, who held passports from Moldova and Romania, targeted construction sites and newly completed homes between January and October last year.
They entered the properties through windows and removed equipment that had already been installed, including boilers, pumps and household appliances. Developers were then forced to purchase replacement items and install them again before the homes could be sold.
Over the course of ten months, the four men stole property worth more than £1 million. The scale of the new-build thefts meant hundreds of homes were affected, creating additional costs and delays for construction companies.
Prison sentences remain below five years
Despite the number of offences and the total value of the stolen equipment, none of the four received a sentence of five years or more. Their prison terms ranged from three years and 11 months to four years and 10 months.
The case involved one of the most extensive series of new-build thefts attributed to a single group, with the offenders repeatedly targeting unoccupied properties where expensive equipment had already been fitted.
