Two burglars who targeted high-value cars after breaking into houses in north Kent have been jailed. Between 1 April and 17 May 2023, seven addresses in Dartford and Gravesend were broken into by a criminal gang who then stole BMWs and Mercedes parked outside. Having forced open the front door to houses in the middle of the night, car keys were taken along with other portable valuables including jewellery, phones and computer tablets.

Investigators from the Kent Crime Squad identified vehicles the burglars had used to travel from Essex to commit the offences. Further enquiries established that Joshua Bragg and Aaron Martin were two of the suspects and on 7 June, the former was arrested. Martin was arrested on the following week and both were charged with conspiracy to commit burglary. Bragg, 22, of Bell Farm Avenue, Dagenham and Martin, 20, of Triumph Close, Colchester both pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court. On Thursday 12 October, they were each jailed for three years and nine months.

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Dan Bister, said: ‘The Kent Crime Squad is a blend of uniformed officers and detectives that was established to deal with this type of cross-border criminality. These burglars travelled into Kent and broke into homes while the occupants were often asleep upstairs. They thought they could leave the county and avoid being arrested but this was a misjudgement. We tracked them down and gained sufficient evidence to bring them to justice and place them behind bars.

‘Our team has successfully convicted numerous crime gangs over the last five years and any burglars thinking of following their example, can expect a prompt and robust response from our officers.’