A Romanian gang stole parcels from a DPD depot in Durham. The men pleaded guilty to burglary charges.
A Romanian gang stole parcels from a DPD depot in Durham. The men pleaded guilty to burglary charges.
Romanian Gang Plundered DPD Depot in Durham Stealing Parcels
Packages went missing on two December days. They were sorted for delivery. Accomplices waited in a car nearby, and the stolen packages were passed to them. The car was parked near the depot.
Some stolen phones got replaced with toy phones before delivery. Brothers Vasile Boldamir, 32, and Ionut, 20, were involved. Marius Stroiu, 31, was also charged, and they pleaded guilty to burglary.
Cainan Lonsdale explained the events, stating that the crimes occurred early in the mornings as drivers prepared vans for deliveries. An operations manager noticed missing items around 10:30 AM on December 11.
Parcels had Vasile’s fake name on them and had been tampered with. Phones inside were now toy phones. CCTV showed a man giving items to someone sitting in a Renault Megane about 100 meters from the depot. The footage showed all three men together.
Staff were warned to watch for issues after the December 11 events. The manager saw another man using the same fake name the next day, also in the morning. He claimed he worked for someone named ‘Mark’, similar to the previous day. ‘Mark’ was supposedly on a call in the Megane. The man was followed toward the car, and he shouted, “Go, go, go.”
The Megane drove off quickly, and the man ran and jumped in the back. DPD staff pursued him during this. The car headed toward highway A1(M). However, the manager noted the license plate.
Police stopped the same Megane. Ionut drove, and Vasile and Stroiu were passengers. Stroiu had an iPhone and four sim cards while the other two had phones too. One phone was still in its box.
Police searched the car and found eleven iPhones. Four hi-viz vests were also found, along with an Apple watch, AirPods, and a handbag.
Vasile stayed silent when questioned. Stroiu said they went for a job interview. Ionut only said he was driving. Only Vasile had prior convictions on record, with eight convictions involving dishonesty.
Vasile confessed to using the fake name and admitted to working at the depot. Judge Jo Kidd considered time served. Vasile got a suspended six-month sentence. He must do activity sessions and unpaid work, while Ionut and Stroiu got community orders and must complete unpaid work too. The judge told them to obey the orders, warning that failure to do so meant prison.
Packages went missing on two December days. They were sorted for delivery. Accomplices waited in a car nearby, and the stolen packages were passed to them. The car was parked near the depot.
Some stolen phones got replaced with toy phones before delivery. Brothers Vasile Boldamir, 32, and Ionut, 20, were involved. Marius Stroiu, 31, was also charged, and they pleaded guilty to burglary.
Cainan Lonsdale explained the events, stating that the crimes occurred early in the mornings as drivers prepared vans for deliveries. An operations manager noticed missing items around 10:30 AM on December 11.
Parcels had Vasile’s fake name on them and had been tampered with. Phones inside were now toy phones. CCTV showed a man giving items to someone sitting in a Renault Megane about 100 meters from the depot. The footage showed all three men together.
Staff were warned to watch for issues after the December 11 events. The manager saw another man using the same fake name the next day, also in the morning. He claimed he worked for someone named ‘Mark’, similar to the previous day. ‘Mark’ was supposedly on a call in the Megane. The man was followed toward the car, and he shouted, “Go, go, go.”
The Megane drove off quickly, and the man ran and jumped in the back. DPD staff pursued him during this. The car headed toward highway A1(M). However, the manager noted the license plate.
Police stopped the same Megane. Ionut drove, and Vasile and Stroiu were passengers. Stroiu had an iPhone and four sim cards while the other two had phones too. One phone was still in its box.
Police searched the car and found eleven iPhones. Four hi-viz vests were also found, along with an Apple watch, AirPods, and a handbag.
Vasile stayed silent when questioned. Stroiu said they went for a job interview. Ionut only said he was driving. Only Vasile had prior convictions on record, with eight convictions involving dishonesty.
Vasile confessed to using the fake name and admitted to working at the depot. Judge Jo Kidd considered time served. Vasile got a suspended six-month sentence. He must do activity sessions and unpaid work, while Ionut and Stroiu got community orders and must complete unpaid work too. The judge told them to obey the orders, warning that failure to do so meant prison.