Albanian gang jailed for £1million UK-wide burglary series
They've been jailed for more than 38 years combined
Last updated 14th Apr 2026
Four Albanian men and a British woman have been sentenced to more than 38 years in prison for their involvement in a series of high-value burglaries across the UK.
The gang were linked to at least 59 burglaries, with an estimated £1million-worth of items stolen.
The majority of items were already sold on before their arrests.
The court heard how the gang would typically break into houses using ladders to access windows and balconies.
They stole jewellery, designer handbags, watches and cash.
The gang would often meet at a coffee shop in the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham to discuss the burglaries.
They specifically targeted wealthy victims and even set weekly targets for the amount of gold they wanted to steal.
The sentences
Krisjian Dedndreaj, 28, of Crabtree Road, Walsall has been jailed for 9 years for conspiracy to commit burglary and a given concurrent sentence of 5 years for conspiracy to possess criminal property.
George Pepa, 31, of Crabtree Road, Walsall has been jailed for 9 years for conspiracy to commit burglary and given a concurrent sentence of 4½ years for conspiracy to possess criminal property.
Sidorjan Lleshi, 26, of Durlstone Drive, Sheffield, has been jailed for 10 years and 9 months for conspiracy to commit burglary, one count of burglary and conspiracy to possess criminal property.
Another 15 counts of burglary were also taken into consideration for Lleshi's sentence, they include 14 in Derbyshire and one in Staffordshire.
Kristian Gropcaj, 30, of Gas Street, Birmingham has been jailed for 10 years for conspiracy to commit burglary and a concurrent sentence of 5½ years for conspiracy to possess criminal property.
Jade Tubb, 33, of Crabtree Road, Walsall, hasbeen sentenced to one year in prison suspended for two years for possession of criminal property.
Endrit Nikolli, 29, of Crabtree Road, Walsall, is due to be sentenced on Wednesday 29 April.
The investigation
Cheshire Police started an investigation in October 2024, after a number of burglaries in the area.
The burglaries were linked to other incidents across the UK due to shoe prints left.
The gang were linked to at least 59 burglaries including:
- Eight in Cheshire
- Two in Cleveland
- Nine in Derbyshire
- Two in Leicestershire
- Five in Nottinghamshire
- Seven in Staffordshire
- Two in Warwickshire
- Nine in West Mercia
On 2nd July 2025, officers from Macclesfield Proactive CID; Cheshire Police Serious and Organised Crime Unit; Staffordshire Police; Derbyshire Police and Nottinghamshire Police raided addresses in Walsall, Sutton Coldfield and Birmingham.
They recovered 13 designer handbags, along with 14 watches worth almost £17,000.
They also found mobile phones with hundreds of images of stolen items.