A 35-year-old man from Acton has been jailed for his role in a string of highly organised burglaries across Surrey and Kent, despite having no ties to the areas targeted.
Drilon Merkohitoj, of Avenue Gardens, along with his accomplice Ervis Vela, 30, from Kent, were sentenced at Guildford Crown Court on 17 April 2025 to three years and nine months in prison each after pleading guilty to nine offences, including seven residential burglaries and two attempted burglaries committed between December 2023 and March 2024.
The pair were found to have travelled significant distances to carry out their crimes, breaking into 13 homes and stealing thousands of pounds worth of jewellery and other valuables. Investigators were able to track their movements using a combination of DNA evidence, CCTV, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR), mobile phone data and distinctive clothing.
A snood recovered from a vehicle provided the breakthrough when it returned a DNA match, allowing police to link Merkohitoj to the burglaries. From there, a picture of systematic and calculated offending emerged. The men typically approached properties from the rear, attempting entry via upper floors before forcing access at ground level—often smashing windows. Once inside, they conducted chaotic searches, focusing primarily on bedrooms.
Police analysis revealed a clear and repeated pattern in their approach. They consistently used the same vehicle, and one of them was seen wearing the same distinctive black and red trainers during several of the break-ins
Investigating officer PC Jordan said: “This was a highly organised series of offences, carried out by individuals who deliberately travelled to commit burglaries in areas they had no local connection to. Their approach was systematic and consistent. Through that, key patterns emerged throughout the investigation and those details, along with forensic evidence and digital tracking, allowed us to build a compelling case against them.”
“The sentencing handed down reflects the scale and seriousness of the offending.”
