Albanian burglar jailed for 10 years after travelling to Britain every winter to steal from people's homes

An Albanian national who travelled to Britain every winter to carry out burglaries across southern England has been jailed.

Gledis Uka, 30, was jailed at Maidstone Crown Court on Tuesday after admitting to a string of break-ins spanning eight counties.

The court heard how Uka had established a seasonal pattern of offending, arriving in England each year between October and January before disappearing until the following winter.

His crime spree stretched across Kent, Berkshire, Bristol, Buckinghamshire, Essex, London, Suffolk and Surrey.

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Uka, who had no fixed address in the UK, was apprehended by Kent Police officers in Essex on January 30 this year.

He faced 33 charges relating to properties throughout the south of England and entered guilty pleas to 19 offences. Two additional charges were taken into consideration, with the remainder left on file.

The investigation began in December 2023 when Kent Police received two separate reports of break-ins at properties in Edenbridge.

In both incidents, the intruder had smashed through windows and doors to gain access before making off with jewellery.

Crucially, blood was discovered at both crime scenes, providing officers with vital forensic evidence.

Over the following two years, until November 2025, police received numerous further reports from homes in Edenbridge and Sevenoaks bearing the same hallmarks.

The method remained consistent; forced entry through broken windows and doors, with valuables taken from inside.

Blood traces continued to appear at these scenes, allowing investigators to build connections between the offences.

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The forensic evidence proved instrumental in linking what initially appeared to be separate crimes across multiple locations.

Beyond Kent, detectives established that Uka had targeted homes across seven additional counties during his winter visits to England.

He has now been sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment.

Detective Constable Celia King, who led the inquiry, described the painstaking work required to officially connect burglaries occurring across such varied locations and timeframes.

DC King said: "This was a complex investigation which highlights the perseverance and dedication of officers for more than two years.

"Due to the time periods between each of the burglaries and the different locations, it was a thorough process to ensure we were able to officially connect them, via our forensic evidence, and link them to one person, Uka.

"Once he was identified, there were further complexities to track him down as he was only believed to be carrying out the spate of crimes in England during the winter months.

"Uka had no remorse for his victims, smashing his way into the properties and leaving a mess before stealing sentimental items.

"In one of the burglaries, the victim was at home as he broke in which would have been a terrifying ordeal for them.

"I'd like to thank the victims, from all over the country, for their support throughout this investigation and the other police forces for their assistance."

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