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Albanian Crime Syndicate Busted for Over £1 Million in UK Burglaries
A notorious Albanian criminal group, often likened to a contemporary “Bonnie and Clyde” duo, has confessed to orchestrating more than 40 high-profile burglaries across the United Kingdom. Their illicit activities resulted in the theft of jewellery, luxury goods, and cash exceeding £1 million, primarily from affluent residences. The gang’s downfall came after authorities discovered incriminating photos showing them flaunting stacks of stolen money and designer items.
Details of the Crime Spree and Geographic Reach
The ring, comprising Endrit Nikolli (27), Kristian Gropcaj (30), George Lleshaj (31), Krisjian Dedndreaj (28), and Sidorjan Lleshi (26), targeted upscale homes and mansions across several counties between December 2023 and July 2025. Law enforcement linked them to at least 44 burglaries: nine in Derbyshire, eight in Cheshire, five in Nottinghamshire, seven in Staffordshire, two each in Cleveland, Leicestershire, and Warwickshire, and nine in West Mercia.
Methodical Planning and Execution of Burglaries
This criminal network operated with precision, setting weekly targets specifically for gold theft. Their break-ins were carefully strategized, often involving the use of ladders to access first-floor windows and balconies before ransacking the properties. While some stolen items were recovered, the majority remain missing, having been quickly sold for cash on the black market.
Inside Assistance and ‘Bonnie and Clyde’ Persona
Nikolli’s British partner, Jade Tubb, aged 33, played a crucial role in facilitating the gang’s operations. The couple exchanged letters in which they referred to themselves as “Bonnie and Clyde,” highlighting their criminal partnership. Tubb has admitted guilt to conspiracy to possess criminal property.
Investigation and Evidence Gathering
The investigation was triggered by a surge of burglaries in eastern Cheshire. Detectives matched footwear impressions from various crime scenes and utilized Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology to connect vehicles, including a red Ford Focus registered to Gropcaj and a rental car booked by Tubb, to the crimes. Mobile phone data placed the suspects together at a Birmingham coffee shop located in the Jewellery Quarter. Additionally, DNA evidence from a Staffordshire burglary matched Nikolli.
Coordinated Police Raids and Arrests
Police executed synchronized raids in Walsall, Sutton Coldfield, and Birmingham, apprehending Nikolli, Lleshaj, Gropcaj, and Tubb. Dedndreaj was arrested later in Surrey, while Lleshi was detained in Sheffield in September 2025. Authorities recovered 13 designer handbags, 14 luxury watches valued at nearly £17,000, hundreds of photographs of stolen items, and messages containing Google Maps links to targeted properties.
Legal Proceedings and Sentencing
All six individuals faced charges of conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to possess criminal property. They entered guilty pleas at Chester Crown Court on November 28, 2025, and January 6, 2026. Nikolli, Gropcaj, Dedndreaj, Lleshaj, and Lleshi remain in custody pending sentencing scheduled for February 20, while Tubb has been granted bail ahead of her sentencing on the same date.
Law Enforcement Commends Cross-County Collaboration
Temporary Detective Chief Inspector Ryan McVeigh of Derbyshire Police praised the investigation as a prime example of effective cooperation between multiple police forces. He emphasized the widespread distress caused by the gang’s activities across several counties. Detective Sergeant Laura Fox of Macclesfield Proactive CID described the group as a “sophisticated organized crime syndicate” that frequently boasted about their criminal exploits and shared images of their stolen wealth.
“The defendants had no alternative but to admit their guilt and now face the repercussions of their actions,” DS Fox concluded.
