A CRIMINAL gang which was flying burglars from Chile into the UK to target wealthy homes in the South East has been linked to more than 200 crimes in Surrey.

Luxury items worth more than £1 million were stolen by the thieves, who targeted hundreds of homes then shipped some of the goods out of the country.

Police disrupted the gang by tracking vehicles used in several burglaries, and found burglars would normally commit offences within a week of flying into the country.

Overall 226 crimes in Surrey have been linked to the group, with 41 of those supported by either an arrest, charge or forensic hit.

A spokesman for Surrey Police confirmed 18 offenders have been sentenced in Surrey for offences in the county, while others were sentenced within other forces but had committed crimes in Surrey.