Joseph Crewe, 31, from Liverpool Road, Portsmouth, carried out a high-value theft in January by stealing nine Rolex watches and a Girard-Perregaux from a home in Southsea.
His crime was uncovered when Rolex identified one of the stolen watches that was sent to them for servicing. This led Hampshire Constabulary to alert international police and border agencies to prevent the watches from leaving the UK.
Crewe was eventually arrested thousands of miles away in Australia. The Australian Federal Police recovered four of the stolen watches and found receipts for two more that had been sold in Malaysia, which helped secure Crewe’s conviction.
Detective Constable Charlie Cox emphasized the importance of registering serial numbers of valuable items on platforms like the free www.immobilise.com. He stated, “This case stresses the importance of registering the serial numbers of goods of value, on sites such as the free www.immobilise.com. We had no forensic evidence; our only line of enquiry was around the serial numbers on the watches.”
Recognition was given to the Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, Etihad Airlines, Rolex, Pristine Watches Knightsbridge, and Watches and Jewellery of Bond Street for their cooperation in the investigation.
On Friday 11 May, Crewe pleaded guilty to burglary charges. He was sentenced to a two-year suspended jail term and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work. Most of the luxury watches have now been returned to their rightful owner.
Originally published by UKNIP.
