Thieves who stole ‘half a million pounds’ worth of mobile phones from commercial premises across UK including Lancashire caught red-handed

Dylan Azzopardi – a final man who was involved in a series of high value burglaries – was jailed for three years and nine months on Friday, July 28

The 30-year-old, from Eccles, had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary.

Earlier this year, Adam Brown, 40, Lee Seddon, 46, Scott Walker, 46, and Robert Pinkney, 41, were jailed for a combined 13 years and six months for their involvement.

What did they do?

£500,000 worth of mobile phones were stolen from commercial premises across Greater Manchester, Cheshire, Lancashire, and West Yorkshire.

They were stolen between November 2022 and January 2023

Driving stolen cars with cloned plates, the gang forced entry to the warehouses armed with crowbars and sledgehammers.

Once inside, they would ransack the storerooms, bundling thousands of phones into bags.

Officers said the gang were “organised and experienced and took a number of measures in an attempt to avoid detection by law enforcement.”

How were they caught?

Following a period of surveillance, their downfall came in January 2023 when GMP detectives – supported by the Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit (TVIU) – interrupted Brown, Seddon and Walker who were in the middle of committing a burglary in Castleford, West Yorkshire.

Officers armed with tasers were waiting at the premises, and after hearing the men inside, police stormed the building before detaining and arresting them.

Adam Brown’s identity was exposed when officers removed his balaclava to reveal a man who “appeared to be somewhat bewildered that he was being arrested on suspicion of burglary”.

In the days that followed, officers executed a number of warrants which resulted in the arrests of Pinkney and Azzopardi.

What did Greater Manchester Police say?

DC Alex Brown, from GMP Serious Organised Crime Group, said: “Working with officers from neighbouring forces and our invaluable colleagues from SaferCash, whose expertise in this field played a part in our detectives initially identifying and pursuing these men, we were able to dismantle this dangerous and disruptive organised crime group.

“Thankfully no members of the public were injured during any of these offences, but thousands of pounds worth of damage and lost earnings were caused by this crime spree.

“This gang thought they had the tactics to avoid detection from law enforcement, but unfortunately their luck ran out following a string of careless mistakes.

“I’m glad they have now been brought to justice and will spend many years behind bars.”