Page 38
A ROMANIAN thief
deported from five EU coun-
tries was free to come to
Britain to continue his life
of crime.
Leonard Velcu, 31, who tar-
geted shoppers at Aldi and Lidl
supermarkets, had already
been kicked out of Italy, Spain,
Sweden, Denmark and the
Netherlands after serving
prison sentences.
He is also wanted in Canada for
more than 100 crimes. Velcu and
his accomplice Viorel Agapie – who
is on the run – used a simple and
‘well-rehearsed’ trick to steal cash
from elderly and vulnerable people
doing their weekly shop.
The two men, who were able to
come to the UK under EU freedom
of movement rules, struck at least
miles from a supermarket to her
home in Kendal, Cumbria, before
they stole her card.
Wolverhampton Crown Court
heard the men had preyed on eld-
erly victims throughout Europe
and Scandinavia.
Andrew Baker, prosecuting, said
they targeted suburban supermar-
kets looking for vulnerable shop-
pers – the older the better.
Their operation unravelled after
they stole £500 from a pensioner at
an Aldi in Wolverhampton.
Detectives then gathered exam-
ples of carbon copy thefts from
across the country after publicis-ing details of their methods. Aga-
pie was arrested in Wolverhamp-
ton following a raid on January 31.
He was questioned but released on
bail pending further inquiries.
Days later he fled the country – and
is still on the run. Velcu also fled.
European arrest warrants were
issued for the criminal duo.
The court heard how they had a
‘narrow escape’ in Majorca before
Velcu was arrested in Croatia in
July and returned to the UK.
Velcu, of no fixed address, admit-
ted conspiring with others to steal
between August 1 and November
30 last year and was jailed for fourand a half years yesterday. Judge
Dean Kershaw said Velcu had
travelled through countries and
across borders to carry out his
crimes, leaving a trail of heart-
break in his wake.
He said Velcu had also been
arrested for pick-pocketing on the
London Underground, adding:
‘You have spent year after year
committing crimes.’
He believes there may be more
victims, possibly too embarrassed
to report what happened.
He said it was now up to the
authorities in Canada to decide if
Velcu should face punishment forhis other crimes. Velcu, a father of
three, showed no reaction as he
was taken away to jail.
Haroon Khattak, mitigating,
said Velcu had travelled to the
UK in 2009 for a better life but he
had returned to Romania when
things had not worked out.
He said Velcu had committed
his crimes because he was under
pressure to clear a debt that was
‘hanging over his head’.
West Midlands Police declined
to release a picture of Agapie,
and a spokesman said there was
an ‘ongoing operation running’
to find him.Free to come
here and steal,
Romanian thief
jailed in FIVE
EU countries
By Claire Duffin
and Andy Dolan
Campaign of theft: Leonard Velcu
‘Left a trail of
heartbreak’QQQ Daily Mail, Friday, August 23, 201921 times across England, stealing
£12,000 in less than four months, a
court heard.
Fifteen of those targeted were
over 60 and the oldest was 88 –
including an 84-year-old in
Wolverhampton who had £1,700
stolen from their bank account.
The criminals would make a note
of their victims’ PIN as they paid
for shopping at the check-out,
then follow them outside and ask
if they had dropped a £10 note.
As the pensioners – who believed
the thieves were honest – checked
their purse or wallet, the pair
would use sleight of hand tricks to
steal their bank card, which they
would then use to withdraw cash
or buy expensive clothes.
One victim was followed four