They carried out at least 11 burglaries at addresses across Surrey and London and stole more than £80,000 worth of property last November and December.

They are;

Israel Contreras, 22, was sentenced to five years and three months.

Eduardo Marquez, 29, was sentenced to six years and nine months.

Yeico Guzman Fernandez, 25, was sentenced to two years and nine months.

Michael Carrasco, 28, was sentenced to two years and nine months.

The gang, posing as tourists, would usually target flats and houses in affluent areas, climbing up to the first or second floors and then forcing entry through windows or doors, often using tools.

They ransacked the properties they targeted, looking for watches, designer clothing, and jewellery in particular, before making good their escape.

During one burglary in Epsom, the occupants’ Christmas presents had been unwrapped and abandoned in the lounge.

Officers were given the first piece of the puzzle when Israel Contreras dropped his phone fleeing over the fence of a home in Hillingdon. The phone contained five screenshots from a mapping app, with pins dropped on residential properties around London.

Contreras also left behind DNA on parts of a broken angle grinder blade left behind at the scene of a burglary in Esher, connecting the offences in London and Surrey. Contreras was the first of the gang to be detained by police and was arrested while attempting to board a flight from Heathrow Airport to Chile on the 5th of December. He was charged with conspiracy to commit burglary, but officers knew he wasn’t acting alone.

On the 11th of December, the remaining members of the gang were stopped by officers from Surrey Police driving a red Hyundai on Fulham Palace Road in London. Having attempted to reverse and ram their way to freedom, the car was tactically stopped by police and the three occupants detained. The car and their pockets were full of jewellery, designer goods, and tools.

Driving the getaway car was Eduardo Marquez. He was searched and found with jewellery in his pockets from burglaries committed earlier that day. He also had a large crowbar tucked into his waistband, and a torch and screwdriver concealed in his pockets.

The passengers were Yeico Fernandez and Michael Carrasco. Fernandez had arrived in the UK from Chile at 7am that morning.

By 5pm he was in police custody, having immediately met up with the group and gone straight on an offending spree.

Investigating officer, Sergeant Ben Deacon, said: “We know the devastating physical and emotional impact burglary has on victims and the wider community. It gives me great satisfaction that on this occasion, and many others that don’t necessarily get reported, that we have been able to deliver some justice to the victims of these crimes.

“I want to thank all the victims and witnesses for their patience and support, these criminals do not get caught without it.

“Similarly, I’d like to plea that if you are unfortunate enough to become a victim of such a crime that you report it, record and share all serial numbers, photos and descriptions of stolen items with us so that we have the best chance of catching the offenders. Many of the burglaries solved as part of this investigation had looked like they would go unsolved, but the dedication of my colleagues and perseverance of the victims enabled us to get this result.

“Equally, this investigation involved many officers and staff from multiple teams, disciplines and forces – thank you all for your hard, diligent work.

“Finally, on the off chance any would-be-burglars are reading this, I want them to understand the following: Contreras thought he had got away with his crimes, but was arrested on his way home at Heathrow, minutes from freedom. Fernandez entered the UK with sole intention of thievery but spent less than 12 hours at large in this country prior to spending years in prison. And Marquez and Carrasco did not see us coming and won’t be free for a long time. This group have been on remand in prison since their arrests and will all be subject to deportation once their sentences have been served.”