Police say they have been responding to a series of burglaries targeting gold jewellery.
This “family gold” typically consists of high-value items, often cherished as wedding gifts within Asian communities and passed down through generations, carrying immense sentimental significance.
Officers report that perpetrators are currently operating in small groups of two or three, typically striking when families are away attending evening prayers. They gain entry through open windows or resort to breaking them using objects found nearby, such as garden tools.
Greater Manchester Police have deployed officers for targeted patrols in hotspot areas, aiming to deter crime during the month of Ramadan.
One Rochdale victim said: “Whilst on a pilgrimage to Mecca, he saw footage from inside his property which showed masked men ransacking his home, clearly looking for something specific.
“The impact on my family has been immense, my place of safety no longer felt safe. We believe they were looking for gold, they were looking through pillowcases and emptied out our cupboards and drawers.
“I want people to be more switched on with their home security, leave lights on to give the impression someone is home, it may deter them.”
Intrusive crime
Detective chief inspector Vicki Kenyon said: “We know it’s a special time of the year for many, but sadly we know that criminals are using this as an opportunity to target homes to steal valuable family gold jewellery.
“Burglary is a very intrusive crime and not only does the theft of gold jewellery affect people financially, but these items often hold a lot of sentimental value too, having been passed down through generations.
“We are doing all we can by ensuring that we have proactive patrols in hotspot areas across Greater Manchester, but as always, the support of our communities is vital in helping us bring these people to justice.”
PC Mohammed Latif (pictured main left) said: “We have seen there has been a spike in recorded family gold burglaries around this time of year in Rochdale but also in Oldham and Tameside. We have put specific operations in place to target prolific offending to ensure that we are proactive in our approach to tackle family gold burglaries around this time of year.
“We would also advise anyone with expensive jewellery in their homes to ensure it is safely locked away, out of sight. Simply hiding the jewellery is sadly not enough. A determined burglar will search high and low for items of high value. Ideally, you should remove jewellery from your home and secure it in a safe deposit box.”
