In the Midlands, the North West, and North Wales, a gang of balaclava-clad Romanian burglars is suspected of being responsible for a string of farm shop break-ins.
At least seven upscale farm stores have been attacked in the previous four weeks, and surveillance footage points to the same crew of “Matrix-inspired” thieves as the perpetrators.
By crawling like commandos along the aisles, they even managed to get around one store’s £10,000 alarm system.
In a certified safe at Denstone Hall in Staffordshire last month, the men made off with £16,000 in cash.
Insurers NFU Mutual warned that burglars have taken advantage of the farm shops’ rural, often isolated locations.
According to spokesman David Harrison, “We’re really concerned” that organized crime is taking advantage of the various farm stores’ outlying positions to commit burglaries.
We haven’t experienced a string of well-planned raids like this previously.
According to The Sunday Times, Denstone Hall owner Rupert Evans claimed they even pocketed employee tips.
The craziest thing I’ve ever seen, according to Mr. Evans, 50, was seeing them scramble around to prevent setting off the alarm.
‘I tested it myself and tried to do what they did, just to check why the alarm didn’t go off.
‘They were like something out of The Matrix film, wearing their ski snoods with a tiny little gap for their eyes.’
The same group are suspected of robbing Wolverhampton’s Essington Farm shop on July 4.
But on that occasion, they did trigger the alarm system – and made their escape empty-handed.
‘I was on the property at the time and arrived just a minute too late’, owner Will Simkin told the newspaper.
Police said that the intricacy of the gang’s tactics “amazes” them.
Officers are conducting in-depth investigations, and Staffordshire police urged anyone with information, CCTV, or dash cam footage to get in touch with them.
Farmers were cautioned by North Wales Police to watch out for any strange client behavior while their businesses were open.
‘They understood the structure of the business, therefore it appears quite probable they cased the joint before the attack,’ Mr. Evans said this week to The Grocer.
‘The most important thing is that no one was hurt because it happened at night.
‘However, it’s hugely unsettling for all of us to realise that criminals have been in the shop, working out how to return and break in.’