What was meant to be a fast money-making trip for a group of Chilean burglars turned into a costly mistake that landed them behind bars in the UK.
The gang flew in, targeted wealthy neighbourhoods in London and Surrey, and managed to steal around £80,000 worth of luxury items—including jewellery, designer watches, and even wrapped Christmas presents.
High-Risk Break-Ins Across Affluent Areas
Between November 3 and December 11 last year, the group broke into at least 11 upscale homes.
To carry out their crimes, they often scaled the walls of expensive properties and forced entry through upstairs windows or doors.
Surrey Police revealed that the thieves weren’t shy about taking risks, even climbing up to the second floor to get inside.
Caught on Camera During a Getaway
In one particularly telling incident, CCTV cameras captured the men—later identified as Israel Contreras, Eduardo Marquez, Yeico Guzman Fernandez, and Michael Carrasco—scrambling out of a window and leaping over a fence to escape after a burglary.
Investigators later confirmed that Fernandez had flown in from Chile solely to join the spree the very day he arrived.
Mistakes That Sealed Their Fate
Despite their efforts, a series of sloppy mistakes proved their undoing.
Contreras, for example, dropped his phone while climbing a fence in Hillingdon.
When police examined the device, they found screenshots from a mapping app pinpointing homes across London.
His DNA also turned up on a broken angle grinder used in another burglary.
Plans to flee back to Chile on December 5 failed when police arrested him at Heathrow Airport.
A Dramatic Police Stop in London
The other gang members didn’t last much longer.
On December 11, police intercepted their red Hyundai on Fulham Palace Road in London.
The men tried to ram their way out of trouble, but officers boxed them in.
Inside the car, officers uncovered stolen jewellery, designer items, burglary tools, and even a crowbar stuffed into Marquez’s waistband.
Fernandez had only landed in the UK that morning and wasted no time jumping into the gang’s next heist.
Sentencing at Guildford Crown Court
Justice caught up with the burglars this summer when they were sentenced at Guildford Crown Court.
Contreras, 22, was handed five years and three months, while Marquez, 29, received six years and nine months.
Carrasco, 28, and Fernandez, 25, were each sentenced to two years and nine months.
Police Celebrate a Hard-Fought Victory
Sergeant Ben Deacon, who led the investigation, described the arrests as deeply satisfying.
He praised the victims and witnesses for their patience and credited the persistence of officers across multiple teams for ensuring the gang didn’t get away.
According to him, many of the burglaries looked destined to remain unsolved—but perseverance changed the outcome.
Facing Deportation After Prison Time
The four men, who have been held in custody since their arrests, will remain in UK prisons until their sentences are served.
Afterwards, they are expected to be deported back to Chile.
For now, police say their work has delivered justice to the victims of a series of crimes that shook some of London and Surrey’s wealthiest communities.