CRIME WORLD
Lithuania gangsters flew to Britain to carry out £1m armed robbery of family jewellers
Members of the international crime gang stormed the Truro jewellers, snatching high-end items including Rolex watches, diamonds and jewels
LITHUANIAN gangsters travelled all the way to Cornwall to snatch £1m in jewellery in an organised heist, it can be revealed.
The masked gang screamed "get down" as they barged their way into the family jewellers, armed with crowbars, pepper spray and imitation gun.
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It was a well-planned heist that lasted barely two minutes - organised to hit the Cornish city of Truro as it was seen as a "soft target".
Some of the men had flown into the UK just days before the heist, claiming they were going to work for a clothing recycling firm owned by Gytis Inokaitis - who with Andrius Buinevicius had spent the past three months planning the raid.
And on January 10, the thieves struck.
Storming into Michael Spiers' shop in masks, the men snatched expensive jewellery including Rolex watches, diamonds and jewels.
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Members of the public desperately tried to follow the men as they ran from the scene, jumping into getaway cars in the largest armed robbery in the area.
But the well-organised plan came tumbling down as police tracked the thieves down.
Last week, the gang were sentenced to a total of 64 years and one month in jail.
Recounting the terrifying raid, shop manager David Brignall told the court: "I put my hands in the air and shouted, 'Please don't hurt anyone, take what you need, no one will stop you'."
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He said the men - later exposed as Haroldas Ivanovas, Rogertas Slevaitas, Saulius Mickus and Tomas Bakierskis - appeared to know what they were doing as they moved quickly as they ransacked the shop.
He added: "After he shouted 'down', liquid was sprayed at me, hitting me in the chest and neck. I was short of breath and my eyes were streaming. I still had my hands up and went down on my knees."
After the morning robbery, the four men ran outside of the store, managing to flee the scene in a getaway car.
But officers managed to catch up with two of the men at a train heading to Bristol, arrested in possession of Pepper Spray.
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The men had hoped to make it to the airport but were caught by cops, who pieced together hours of CCTV and forensic evidence along with eyewitness accounts to track them down.
The stolen goods, which include 12 Patek Philippe watches, 16 Rolexes and an assortment of diamond jewellery, have never been recovered.
Photographs taken inside the shop show how the men smashed everything in their path, forcing display cabinets open and stripping them of their jewels.
Evidence later shown in court proved Roger Slekaitis flew into the UK at Bristol on January 8 of this year.
And he was followed into the country by Lithuanians Haroldas Ivanovas and Tomas Bakierskis, who were both passengers on a flight that travelled from Amsterdam to Bristol.
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BEHIND BARS: The men jailed over the well-planned, £1m heist
- Tomas Bakierskis, aged 24 from Lithuania, pleaded guilty to robbery and guilty to possession of firearm with intent and was sentenced to nine and a half years.
- Andrius Buenvicius, aged 41 from Lithuania, pleaded not guilty to possession of firearm with intent and not guilty to conspiracy to rob and was found guilty for both and sentenced to 16 years.
- Rogertas Slekatis, aged 25 from Lithuania, pleaded guilty to robbery and not guilty to possession of firearm with intent but was found guilty of both and sentenced to nine and a half years.
- Gytis Inokaitis, aged 36 of Stuart Road in Plymouth, was found guilty to Conspiracy to Rob and was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
- Agris Davidonis, aged 30 of Petroc Court in Gunnislake, pleaded guilty to Perverting the Course of Justice and sentenced to 21 months in prison.
- Haroldas Ivanovas, aged 20 from Lithuania, pleaded guilty to robbery and to possession of a firearm with intent and was sentenced to seven years.
- Salius Mickus, aged 28 from Lithuania, pleaded guilty to robbery and to possession of a firearm with intent and was sentenced to eight years in prison.
- Harijus Jackiaskas, aged 33 from Partington Lane in Manchester, was found not guilty to assisting an offender but was sentenced to three months, which he has already served on remand, for breaching a deportation order and will be deported back to Lithuania.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Pete Found said: “This was a very dynamic and challenging investigation into what transpired to be an international organised criminal gang who deliberately targeted Truro in what was a well-planned raid.
"The weapons and violence used in the commission of the offence are obviously concerning but I hope that the public are reassured that whilst in Devon and Cornwall these crimes are rare, if they should occur then we have the necessary skills and resources, with the support of law enforcement colleagues both across the country and internationally, to identify those involved and successfully bring them to justice.
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“This has been one of the largest armed robberies we have ever seen. The offenders took around one million pounds worth of jewellery, of which we have yet to locate.
“The impact a robbery of this nature can have on a victim is huge and I hope that the sentence can bring about some sense that justice has been served.
“I would like to add my thanks to members of the public who have supported the investigation and who continue to make Cornwall one of the safest places in the country in which to live.”
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