FURTHER arrests could be made in connection with burglaries by a local gang which is believed to have stolen £1m in cash from small businesses throughout last year.

Almost 50 officers from various forces carried out early morning raids in Brinkworth, Calne and Gloucester today and seven men, aged between their late 30s and early 50s, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to steal.

Operation Keel was launched towards the end of last year after police were alerted to a gang roaming across the south west, tearing walls out of buildings to access safes, which would then be smashed or taken off-site and cut open.

In all, the team has now identified 118 offences, 56 of which were committed in Swindon and North Wiltshire they believe are linked to the gang.

Det Insp Paul Franklin, the officer in charge from Wiltshire Police, who led the cross-county response, said he believes one of the main players was located in Brinkworth. 

“These seven people are friends and acquaintances of each other, and the amount of crime they have committed shows a lifestyle funded wholly by criminality,” he said. 

“That is their job. They cause misery and thousands of pounds worth of damage to businesses, and the money stolen throughout 2014 was in the region of £1m. 

“In all cases what was stolen was used cash, so that is now gone and has been used to fund their lifestyle over the year.

“After months of work, across three counties and three forces, we see this as a major, positive result - arresting key members of a gang who, we believe, prolifically raided properties and stole large amounts of cash and valuables. 

“We will now be looking at bank accounts to see if anything can be recovered.

“Today is a major success for Wiltshire Police, which led the operation, and also for our colleagues in Gloucestershire and Thames Valley - this is a culmination of hours of hard work for the many involved in Operation Keel.

“We have collated evidence from January 2014 onwards. At the back end of 2014 we noticed a series of burglaries where small businesses and premises such as garden centres were having their safes forcibly removed.

“We brought in a small team which was put together to identify these people and the depths and breadths of their offending. 

“In total we have identified 118 offences, 56 of which were committed around the areas of North Wiltshire and predominantly the Swindon area, but also in Thames Valley, West Mercia and as far down as Devon and Cornwall. 

“In all these cases they were using the same method to take out the safes. They would target small businesses in mostly rural communities, away from the cities and the towns. They would break in, sometimes taking out whole walls in order to smash their way in. They would manhandle the safe out, take it away and cut into it. 

“The man arrested in Brinkworth is thought to be one of the main players in committing these crimes. 

“We are happy we have got the main players, but there are other areas to be investigated, such as vehicles used, and we anticipate further arrests.”