TWO men have been sentenced today following an 18 month investigation into an Organised Crime Group (OCG) who were responsible for more than 100 burglaries across the North West.

Eight members of the OCG were sentenced to a total of 32 years in prison last year after committing 162 burglaries, thefts and attempted burglaries offences across Merseyside, Lancashire and Cheshire.

An estimated £2.6 million of stolen goods were taken from a string of properties across the three boroughs, with some offences believed to have occurred in Newton-le-Willows.

Two more men from the OCG were sentenced today (Tuesday, January 25), with Paul Wharton, 35, of Max Road, Knotty Ash, jailed for seven years and three months after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to commit theft.

Keith Russell, 42, of Hornby Road, Liverpool, was jailed for a total of eight years after pleading guilty to robbery, conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to commit theft.

The investigation into the OCG, named Operation Castle, was launched in January 2020, after an increase in residential burglaries across the three regions, in which high performance vehicles with an estimated value of £2.6 million were stolen, and often recovered in the Blackburn area of Lancashire.

The believed 'head' of the OCG, Kashif Rafiq (also known as Anjum Nawaz) of Oozehead Lane, Blackburn, Lancashire, was sentenced to eight years, nine months for conspiracy to commit burglary and conspiracy to steal motor vehicles.

Detective Sergeant Darren Hankin of Operation Castle said: “The sentencing of Wharton and Russell today for their part in the burglary conspiracy brings the total for the OGC to over 47 years.

“This was a detailed and complex investigation which was supported by our colleagues at Cheshire and Lancashire Constabularies and demonstrates the commitment of Merseyside Police’s dedicated Operation Castle team to bringing these people to justice and putting them behind bars where they belong.

"We understand the massive impact that burglary has on victims. It can be a really personal and victims can struggle to come to terms with offenders having entered their homes and stolen personal items.

"Key to these successes can often be information from those communities targeted, so I would continue to ask people to report anything suspicious, and come forward with any information you may have seen or heard.

"Many other burglaries are still preventable as offenders are often opportunistic. Lock your front and back door even when you are in, set your burglar alarm when you go out or go to bed and consider getting CCTV or doorbell technology, both of which can be valuable both as a deterrent measure but also when investigating incidents.”

Always call 999 if a crime is in progress, and pass on any other info on suspected burglary via @MerPolCC on Twitter, ‘Merseyside Police Contact Centre’ on Facebook, or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.