Screenshot: Oakland County Sheriff’s Office (WXYZ Detroit)
In response to the increasing incidents of break-ins targeting upscale homes in exclusive neighborhoods of metro Detroit, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard has announced the formation of a specialized task force.
The newly formed group, known as SEM CAB (Southeast Michigan Collaborate Arrest Prosecute), is a collaboration of multiple law enforcement agencies including local police departments, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Homeland Security Investigations, Michigan State Police, US Border Patrol, US Secret Service, and several county sheriff’s offices, WXYZ Detroit reported.
Sheriff Bouchard, in a recent news conference, highlighted the seriousness of the situation, revealing that an international criminal operation is suspected to be behind these sophisticated burglaries.
The task force’s establishment follows a previous announcement by Bouchard several months ago, indicating the scale and persistence of the criminal activities in the region.
The criminal crews, primarily believed to be from Latin America, particularly Chile, are described as highly functional and well-trained.
Surveillance footage shared at the briefing illustrates the proficiency of the break-in crews, which have targeted an estimated 30 to 40 upscale residences since the previous autumn. Just over the last weekend, five incidents were reported across different locales.
Described by Bouchard as skilled and organized, these gangs, believed to be of four to six members, employ technology such as jammers to disrupt WiFi-dependent security systems. Clad in black attire with gloves and carrying backpacks, the crews operate stealthily, aiming for fast intrusions and exits, avoiding confrontations.
These criminals specialize in targeting multi-million-dollar homes, often entering from secluded rear windows or second stories to pilfer high-value items and transportable safes.
WXYZ Detroit reported:
Bouchard says the crews target high-end homes that they can approach from the back without being observed. They enter through the windows, often on the second story. They are looking for high-end valuables that can be sold off quickly and have been known to take smaller to medium-sized safes, as long as they can transport them to another location.
Bouchard says four people are in custody in the Oakland County Jail in connection with this ring and that others are in custody in other parts of the country, and they are working to connect them to robberies in Michigan.
The crews are mostly from Latin America, with Bouchard saying the crews working SE Michigan are believed to be mostly Chilean. They are believed to strike quickly in one area before moving on to another.
Bouchard says people looking to protect their homes should focus on redundant systems that do not rely just on WiFi for communication.
He also says people who live in areas that fit the pattern of the robberies should consider calling police if their WiFi goes down and they cannot figure out why as that may point investigators to an area that is being targeted or hit.
“Even though crews that have hit Oakland County and beyond have been arrested, the crime spree is on the uptick since the estimate is there are 100 or more of these transnational teams roaming the country committing these crimes at any given moment,” said Oakland County Sheriff’s Office.
“That is why Sheriff Bouchard appreciates all our partners local, state and federal coming together to tackle this together. We anticipate more charges on one the the criminal crews soon from the attorney general. Stay alert and don’t be afraid to call police if you see something suspicious.”
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