'Distraction thieves' gang up to steal cash from man in Kent

Members of a ruthless organised crime gang who targeted people after they had visited banks to withdraw cash in north and west Kent have been jailed. Between October 2024 and February 2025, the five offenders observed the victims collecting large amounts of money from branches in Chatham, Dartford, Gravesend and Sevenoaks. They then used surveillance techniques to follow their targets back to locations where their cars were parked. The criminals then engaged the victims in conversation while accomplices stole the cash.