Saturday 19 June 2010

Burglars Gold-Trail Leads To Jail


Three prolific burglars who funded a lifestyle of flash cars and homes by ruthlessly targeting the Indian community – trashing homes in the search for high-value gold jewellery – have been locked-up.

The North London trio are: Oladapo Ogboye, 22, of Bromley Road, Edmonton, (pic.l) Ricky Dunkley, 19, of Cool Oak Lane, Hendon, (pic.mid) and Dominic Brown-Lee, 21, of Claybrook Close, Barnet, (pic.r).

The Metropolitan Police’s Territorial Policing Crime Squad investigated over twenty similar burglaries in London and the Home Counties.

All three pleaded guilty at Reading Crown Court to conspiring to burgle between July and December, last year and Ogboye received three and a half years imprisonment; Dunkley two years and nine months and Brown-Lee eighteen months.

They led high-rolling lifestyles, renting a luxury apartment within a gated private estate and driving flash cars.

The suspects gained access to the rear of residential properties by using a side access or climbing over a fence.

They would then ransack the properties looking for high-quality Asian gold, stealing £30,000-worth during their crime wave.

On December 3 Ogboye and Brown-Lee were arrested while attempting to burgle a house in Slough, Berkshire.

Ogboye was spotted discarding gloves and a screwdriver as he tried to escape from police officers.

A witness saw a vehicle leaving the scene, which inquiries revealed had been hired by Ogboye.

Dunkley, who had been seen with the vehicle, was arrested later that day and an Asian gold ring in the vehicle was identified as having been stolen in an earlier burglary.

The court heard despite having no visible means of income the defendants were living in luxury.

Ogboye and Dunkley each owned Audi TTs, valued at £25,000 to £30,000, and lived within an affluent private gated complex in Princess Park Manor, Royal Drive, Friern Barnet (in addition to the addresses they gave officers).

When officers searched their homes they found designer clothing from Gucci, D&G and Louis Vuitton, a large quantity of cash and numerous bottles of champagne and Hennessey.

"The individuals involved tried to operate across several boroughs in the hope of avoiding police attention,” said Detective Inspector Bob Boggon.

“They specifically targeted high-value jewellery from members of the Asian community, leaving people's homes in a total mess, which added to their victims' anguish and distress.

"I would like to thank all the victims and witnesses for their cooperation and assistance throughout this investigation which lasted several months.

“The Territorial Policing Crime Squad is determined to increase public safety and confidence by intruding on the lives of those committing these heinous crimes."

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