Romanian gang members jailed over Norfolk shop thefts

Ancuta-alexandra Ion, 28, Grama Zorila, 31 and Ana Iosif, 28, targeted make-up and beauty counters in several supermarkets and high street stores across the region, including in Thetford and King's Lynn.

Norwich Crown Court heard the gang, which also included Denisa-ionela Simion, 21, stole approximately £38,000 worth of goods, including £28,000 from Norfolk stores.

They were finally caught in Lynn, while driving two cars stuffed full of stolen gear.

The women, who were based in London, are thought to have been part of a wider criminal network, for which they stole items to order.

Norwich Crown Court (Image: Peter Walsh, Newsquest) Stephen Spence, prosecuting, described the gang as a "professional group of thieves" who had been involved in a "sophisticated, well-planned operation".

He said the women were "targeting specific stores and specific items" during the raids, carried out between May and June last year.

Next store in King's Lynn (Image: Newsquest) Next, Sainsbury's and Boots in Lynn were all hit by the gang on May 30 last year with around £4,000 worth of cosmetics taken from each store.

Boots store in King's Lynn (Image: Newsquest) Clothing was taken from the town's TK Maxx on the same day by the gang.

By that time, they had already carried out other raids in the region.

These included Boots in Bury St Edmunds on May 26, Sainsbury's in Thetford on May 18 and a Sainsbury's store in Cambridge on May 8.

Grama Zorila, Ana Iosif and Denisa-ionela Simion at an earlier hearing (Image: Newsquest) Gang members were stopped by police on the A10 in Lynn in two vehicles - a Ford Mondeo and VW Passat - with "a large amount of cosmetic goods" as well as clothing found in the footwells and boots of the cars.

Mr Spence said the raids were part of a "larger and ongoing conspiracy" involving more than just the offences identified as part of the operation which was "planned from start to finish".

He said there were "multiple occasions" of theft targeting goods which seemed as if stolen to order.

Ion, Zorila, Iosif and Simion, all from London, appeared in court on Thursday after admitting conspiracy to steal between May 1, 2023, and June 1, 2023.

Simion also admitted a further three counts of shoplifting linked to stores in Essex.

Judge David Pugh said the gang had come to East Anglia "with the specific purpose of stealing large amounts of cosmetics".

He said it was a "highly professional and planned conspiracy".

Zorila and Iosif both received 23 months in prison, while Ion was jailed for 20 months.

Jailed gang members Acuta-alexandra Ion, Grama Zorila and Ana Iosif (Image: Norfolk Constabulary) Simion got 17 months in prison, suspended for 24 months.

Denisa-ionela Simion (Image: Newsquest) She was also ordered to undertake 15 days Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) and a six-month trail monitoring programme.

There were tears from the dock as the sentences were handed out by Judge Pugh.

Abdul Kapadia, mitigating for, Zorila, said the mother of three was "struggling for money at the time" and was "desperate" for funds having three young children.

For Iosif, who has four previous convictions for theft, Mr Kapadia said her last conviction was in 2017, but had pleaded guilty to this offence.

He said the mother of three was "sorry" had made a "mistake" which was stupid but acknowledges she must "move away from the lifestyle".

Speaking on behalf of Simion, Mr Kapadia, said she had no previous convictions, has just given birth to her second child, and was "desperate" when she committed the offences which she "accepts responsibility" for.

He said she "deeply regrets what happened" which he insisted was "out of desperation".

Rich Hodges for Ion, said she had made a "serious error of misjudgement" but "makes no excuses".

He said she made an unwise decision to become involved in the offending after losing her job and benefits.

He said there was "genuine remorse" and "knows she should have done better".