Thieves Who Robbed Elderly Shoppers in Wales Unlikely to be Found

A group of thieves traveled from London to Wales. They spent a week stealing purses from older women. A woman would initiate conversation with the victim. Simultaneously, other thieves would steal her bag from the trolley.

The thieves were Polish. Following their capture by the police, they confessed to thefts and frauds. Subsequently, they skipped bail and fled.

The gang has been missing for over thirteen years. A judge expressed doubt about their return.

Georgia Donohue testified in court, stating the gang arrived in Wales in January 2011. They targeted older shoppers using a distraction tactic. A woman would distract the victim while others stole purses and bags, with victims noticing the theft at the till.

The spree began January 21 in Neath. They targeted stores in Neath and Cardiff. Shops in Port Talbot and Carmarthen were also hit. Victims, ranging from their sixties to eighties, had hundreds of pounds stolen from their ATMs.

They used the stolen money to buy things at Mothercare and Tesco. Some bags contained cash.

Police arrested them. Ciurion and Sudej admitted to theft and fraud, while Jaworska admitted to theft. They failed to appear for sentencing, leading to the issuance of warrants. Sudej had prior convictions, and Jaworska also faced past theft charges.

Judge Thomas acknowledged their absence and doubted their legal return. He described their actions as a mean, organized theft campaign that targeted older female shoppers, some in their eighties.

Sudej received 20 months in prison. Ciurion and Jaworska each received 18 months. Their arrest warrants were subsequently cancelled.