FEARS have been raised over the return of a female Rolex ripper gang, as mystery distraction thieves allegedly rob and sexually assault two men.
Cops are probing two “linked” incidents of pensioners being robbed by unidentified women while walking in Aylesbury, .
Stefania Tinica is the only member of the feared Rolex ripper gang who was ever caughtCredit: BNPS
Cops have released an image of a woman they wish to speak to in connection with a recent robbery and alleged sexual assault
Both of the robberies happened within days of one another in Aylesbury with both suspects using the same tactics.
The methods employed in the recent robberies have previously been used by a notorious gang of watch thieves.
Thames Valley Police (TVP) has since confirmed it is treating the two Aylesbury incidents as linked.
TVP is also liaising with other forces and “keeping an open mind” as to whether there are links between the Aylesbury robberies and other similar cases.
The crimes have seen the return of the tactics used in a spate of thefts carried out by an all-female gang in the south of in 2021.
Only one member of the notorious all-female Rolex ripper gang, which played a part in some 15 successful robberies, was ever caught.
The group of crooks used distraction techniques before attempting to touch or “cuddle” their victims while nabbing the valuable timepieces from their wrists.
Stefania Tinica, a Romanian national, was the only member of the group to be caught by cops.
She was taken into custody at Airport as she tried to flee the UK in 2022.
Tinica was jailed for 40 months over her role in a theft in Poole, and a failed robbery some months earlier in Cheshire.
The theft in Poole saw a £15,930 Rolex Submariner timepiece stolen from a pensioner – the valuable watch was never recovered.
The organised gang is believed by cops to be made up of mostly Eastern European women.
They struck in Dorset, , West , , Gloucestershire and Cheshire.
Most of the cases involved older men targeted by younger women with the same tactics being used in each.
Cops hunted a gang of female Rolex rippers in 2021 but never found their suspectsCredit: Refer to Source
In 2021 the Rolex ripper gang carried out a slew of robberies in southern England
Two new incidents with almost identical circumstances have now been reported to police in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
The first victim was attacked on a footpath between Jackson Road and Aston Close just after midday on March 19.
say he was approached by a woman who touched him inappropriately over his clothing.
Cops said the attacker then snatched a gold Cubin Link chain from the OAP’s neck, before making off with the .
The suspect is described as being aged in her early to mid-thirties and around 5ft to 5ft 2ins tall.
She is thought to be Malaysian or Thai in appearance, with an accent – she had her hair tied up at the time of the attack.
Days later, on April 8, in Richmond Road when he was approached at around 12:45pm.
The second victim was also touched inappropriately above his clothes and had a Rolex watch stolen from his wrist.
According to the police description, the attacker is a white woman, aged in her twenties or thirties, with long dark hair.
The woman is described as being roughly 5ft tall with a Spanish accent.
In both of the chilling new attacks the victims were offered sexual services before allegedly being sexually assaulted and robbed.
It is not known if there is any link between the recent spate of attacks and those carried out by the all female Rolex ripper gang in 2021.
TVP investigating officer Detective Constable Mandy Cutler said: “This incident has occurred in the middle of the afternoon in Aylesbury.
“(It) has very similar circumstances to a similar incident which occurred last week on 8 April.
“At this stage, I am treating these incidents as linked to each other.
“I am also keeping an open mind as to whether these two incidents are linked to a wider issue of similar such incidents occurring elsewhere in the country.
“We are liaising with partner forces to ascertain whether there are any discernible links to these offences.
“I would urge anybody who has any information or concerns to please get in touch with us.
“You will be listened to and supported, and any information, no matter how significant this may seem, may be crucial in assisting this .”
Separately, TVP told The Sun the force was pursuing the possibility that the thefts were linked to other possible cases.
A spokesperson said: “It’s very early stages in our investigations, but it is a line of enquiry that our officers are following; although at this stage, there is nothing definitively that can confirm any links.
“The methods used in the two cases in Aylesbury are being treated as linked due to similar modus operandis, and as such, an open mind is being kept on possible wider links, but at this early stage it is not possible to confirm or deny these links.”
A gang of women committed some 15 Rolex robberies in 2021, using the same tactics each timeCredit: 3
Eze Chidiebere Paul
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