illegals exporting stolen goods taken from American families.

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Charlotte burglary ring busted, police say
Holiday break-ins in South Charlotte thought to be part of international effort.
By Christopher D. Kirkpatrick
ckirkpatrick@charlotteobserver.com
Posted: Thursday, Jul. 30, 2009


Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say they've broken up a professional burglary ring that targeted south Charlotte homes over holiday weekends and sent the stolen goods to New York and South America.

Over a two-week investigation, CMPD tied four July burglaries to a group of five men and say the operation is likely part of a larger international ring. Police say the break-ins resemble about a dozen others in south Charlotte over the past two years.

Authorities couldn't estimate the value of stolen goods, but said one home this month lost $30,000 in jewelry and other property. Police have arrested four men, and a fifth is still wanted. The men, originally from Colombia, have been living and operating in the Charlotte area since 2006, authorities believe.

CMPD detectives say the burglars knew which wires to cut to disable alarms, knew when residents weren't home and stole mostly jewelry – taking time to select the most valuable pieces.

Police found binoculars and crowbars in one suspect's car.

“What we normally see is thieves coming in from other parts of town on a whim. These guys, they spent some time,â€