Notorious Booze Bandit Busted After Nationwide Theft Spree
Alexandru Cercel, 39, from Dagenham, led a booze heist gang targeting top supermarkets like Tesco, Morrisons, Asda, and Sainsbury’s. Between October 2021 and June 2023, they swiped alcohol worth up to £3,000 per raid, sometimes hitting the same store five times in a single day to clear the shelves.
Cross-Country Crime Spree Exposed
Cercel was finally caught at Dover docks on 1 July 2023, trying to flee the UK with a warrant out for his arrest. Investigations uncovered the gang’s vast reach, striking stores across Cambridge, Ipswich, Basildon, Beccles, Great Yarmouth, Norwich, Diss, Canvey Island, and Hertford.
26 More Thefts Revealed in Police Probe
While on remand, Cercel struck a deal with Norfolk and Suffolk’s Operation Converter, admitting to 26 additional crimes. Nine offences were in Norfolk, seven in Suffolk, tallying stolen booze worth around £16,000.
‘Industrial-Scale’ Crime Pays Off with Two-Year Jail
At Canterbury Crown Court on 17 November 2023, Cercel pleaded guilty to eight counts of stealing alcohol from Tesco stores across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Kent, and Hertfordshire. He also asked the court to consider the 26 extra thefts.
“The scale of this operation was industrial,” the judge said. “These thefts were likely to fund further criminal enterprise and showed highly organised, planned offending.”
Despite the severity, Cercel earned some leniency for admitting the Time to Come (TIC) offences, showing “genuine remorse” and saving police months of work.
He was sentenced to two years behind bars for his role in this massive booze burglary ring.
