Jewellery Heist Gang Locked Up After £2 Million Theft in Kent
A ruthless gang has been jailed for stealing over £2 million in jewellery from a travelling salesman between Sussex and Kent.
The Tyre Slash Scam at Wrotham Petrol Station
On 18 January 2024, a jewellery salesman wrapped up a massive £2.25 million deal in Brighton. But lurking in the shadows were gang members Edgar Ardila-Ruiz, Monica Diaz, and Edward Florez-Ortiz (aka Victor Chavez-Gutierrez), ready to strike.
At a petrol station on London Road, Wrotham, Florez-Ortiz slashed one of the salesman’s tyres. When the victim stopped to fix it, Diaz distracted him, while Ardila-Ruiz sneaked into the car boot and snatched a bag loaded with priceless gems.
Cops Nab Crooks After Foiled Second Robbery Attempt
CCTV captured the trio fleeing in a silver Toyota Corolla. Ardila-Ruiz and Diaz were arrested on 11 February near Maidstone after attempting the same stunt on another travelling salesman. A quick-thinking 999 call from the second victim helped police crack the Wrotham case wide open.
All three pleaded guilty. At Maidstone Crown Court, homeless duo Ardila-Ruiz and Diaz were handed three-and-a-half years each. Florez-Ortiz, from Islington, London, got six years at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court and now faces extradition over a prior jewellery theft in Belgium.
Part of a Massive Jewellery Theft Ring Across England
The gang ties into a bigger ring behind robberies at London hotspots like Portobello Road, Hatton Garden, Kings Cross, plus Essex and Hertfordshire. Seven members were jailed after a multi-force police crackdown last September.
Detective Constable Leo Graham said: “They tracked the victim on foot before tailing his car and patiently waited for the perfect moment to strike. We found a metal object Florez-Ortiz had inserted into the tyre to force the stop. It’s lucky Ardila-Ruiz and Diaz were caught shortly after targeting another salesman miles away. These sentences send a strong message to organised criminals operating across the country.”
Now, the gang faces a financial investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act to make sure they don’t keep a penny of their stolen loot.
