A sophisticated organised crime gang, whose members likened themselves to the infamous outlaws Bonnie and Clyde, has been brought to justice after a series of high-value burglaries across the UK netted more than £1 million in stolen goods.
The Crime Spree and the 'Bonnie and Clyde' Connection
The gang, consisting of five Albanian men and one British woman, meticulously targeted large homes and mansions in affluent areas across multiple counties. Between December 2023 and July 2025, detectives linked the group to at least 44 burglaries in regions including Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, and Staffordshire.
Their method was consistent: using ladders to access first-floor windows and balconies before ransacking properties for jewellery, designer handbags, watches, and cash. In a romanticised nod to their criminal partnership, ringleader Endrit Nikolli, 27, and his British girlfriend, Jade Tubb, 33, exchanged love letters referring to each other as 'Bonnie and Clyde'. The court heard the gang even set weekly targets for the amount of gold they aimed to steal.
How the Police Investigation Unravelled the Gang
The investigation was a major collaborative effort between several police forces. Detectives first connected the burglaries through distinctive footwear marks left at the scenes. Using Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology, they identified vehicles common to all incidents, including a red Ford Focus insured to gang member Kristian Gropcaj, 30.
Further checks revealed the gang's operational base: they regularly met at a coffee shop in Birmingham's Jewellery Quarter. A hire car booked by Jade Tubb was also linked to many burglaries. The breakthrough came when Nikolli's DNA was found at a crime scene in Staffordshire.
Subsequent raids in Walsall, Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, and Sheffield led to the arrests of all six defendants. Police recovered 13 designer handbags, 14 watches worth nearly £17,000, and crucially, mobile phones containing hundreds of images of stolen items and Google Maps links to the targeted properties.
Guilty Pleas and Awaiting Sentence
All six defendants pleaded guilty at Chester Crown Court on November 28, 2025, and January 6, 2026, to conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to possess criminal property. The convicted men are Endrit Nikolli, 27, Kristian Gropcaj, 30, George Lleshaj, 31, Krisjian Dedndreaj, 28, and Sidorjan Lleshi, 26. Jade Tubb also admitted her role.
Temporary DCI Ryan McVeigh of Derbyshire Police stated the case showed criminals operating across force borders would not go unnoticed. DS Laura Fox from Macclesfield CID condemned the gang's lack of regard for their victims, noting they "regularly gloated about their crimes and shared images of ill-gotten gains."
The five male defendants were remanded in custody, while Tubb was released on bail. All six are due to be sentenced at Chester Crown Court on February 20, 2026.
