Abington Township police along with Montgomery County detectives teamed up to break up a theft ring. They had to figure out where the thieves were operating and learned the group targeted local families. In one case, they broke in when the kids were home.
Police say the criminals put cameras around the home of unsuspecting victims, trying to figure out the best times to break in. Cars were also tagged with tracking devices and the thieves posed as everyday workers to try and remain undetected.
Police say they also used real estate records to identify Asian homes and business owners.
Their investigation revealed they would dispatch five individuals to the area to identify homes and businesses to target. Some would pose as Amazon workers.
Court records revealed that the group installed trail cameras or hid cell phones in camouflage boxes. Images show the unsuspecting victims were being watched, filmed and targeted.
Police say the highly organized group is mostly from Columbia and are here illegally. Dozens of victims were targeted. Many in the Philly suburbs, but also in New Jersey to the Poconos.
Detectives believe this group was working to target victims all over the country. The U.S. Marshalls were also involved in making arrests.
More than a dozen people have been arrested, but police say there are more suspects out there. If you see something out of the ordinary in your neighborhood, or find something that shouldn’t be there, call police right away.
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