Three burglars including a teenager from Harrow have been jailed.
Police say the trio stole goods worth an estimated £ 200,000 after attacking properties in north and west London, Buckinghamshire, Surrey and Hampshire.
Metropolitan Police say residential properties were targeted between June 26 and July 1 last year, with the victims mostly elderly or vulnerable.
At Isleworth Crown Court on March 21, Lawrence Connors, 29, Michael Doran, 23, and James O’Leary, 19, were jailed for a total of more than 13 years after they all pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary.
Met Detectives said they were identified after working with other police officers to connect vehicles involved in burglary and the type of items that were stolen.
Hours of value of CCTV were analyzed and surveillance was carried out where police found that the burglars were using a number of vehicles.
On July 1, officers saw Connors, Doran and O’Leary drive away from an address in High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, where it was discovered that a burglary had taken place.
Shortly afterwards, the car they were traveling in was stopped by the Met and Surrey Police. The suspects tried to flee, but all three were detained and arrested.
Jewelry and other property worth up to £ 100,000 was recovered from the vehicle and has since been returned to its rightful owner. A high-value vehicle stolen from one of the previous burglaries was also found by the investigation team.
Overall, police say the value of the stolen property is estimated at £ 200,000. Of this, property worth £ 30,000 was not recovered along with some things of sentimental value.
O’Leary, 29, of Apple Grove, Harrow, was jailed for two years and eight months for conspiracy to commit burglary. He admitted to having been present at four burglaries. He has also been disqualified from driving after pleading guilty to driving offenses.
Connors, off Gomm Place, High Wycombe, received a six-year, five-month jail sentence after agreeing to be on four burglaries, while Doran from Sandringham Road, Northolt was given five years and eight months after admitting four burglaries.
Detective Inspector Figo Forouzan said: “The evidence gathered by the police left these men in no doubt about asking.
“They were clearly forensic and thought they were too sophisticated to be caught, but we proved them wrong.
“They targeted their chosen victims and searched their homes in the dark. They took not only money with them, but irreplaceable items of sentimental value that have never been seen again.”