Chilean crime ring suspected in sophisticated high-end home burglaries

PONTIAC, MI – High-end mansions in southeast Michigan have been targeted by sophisticated burglaries that use trail cameras, car trackers and equipment that jams security systems, FOX 2 Detroit reports.

At least 30 burglaries with the same pattern have been reported since September in Oakland County, the report said. They often target homes with woods or a golf course in the backyard, giving the burglars an unseen approach, police said. The burglars mostly make off with jewelry and cash, and sometimes full-sized safes, that are then shipped to port cities and taken out of the country.

“This group is very methodical,” said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. He believes they are of Chilean origin because of recent arrests, including four suspects from Chile who were tied to a jewelry theft ring, the report said.

Bouchard is now working with more than 30 other agencies ranging from local departments to state police and the FBI to stop the burglars in their tracks, the report said. The task force is called Southeast Michigan Collaborate Arrest and Prosecute (SEMCAP).

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