They booked flights so they’d have access to duty free shops. Then one sister would distract staff while the other filled up an empty suitcase with goods.
That’s what Lewes Crown Court heard, where Georgina and Laura Epitropou have been jailed. It was said the two sisters stole around £80,000 worth of perfume and cosmetics from the duty free at Gatwick Airport over a series of months.
The pair created a simple yet sophisticated system to steal thousands of pounds of items, reports the MIrror. While the scheme started with just one sister, who would come to the airport and book international flights, both sisters soon became involved.
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To access the duty free, both sisters would buy flights, Lewes Crown Court was told. But after 10 months, the Epitropou sisters were arrested.
An investigation by Gatwick CID found they bought 22 internal flights during the 10-month period. Daniel Cummins from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Despite claiming that they were in debt when they were arrested, it was clear that both sisters were living beyond their means and using these thefts to fund their lavish lifestyles, which included cosmetic surgery.”
“They were stealing to order, putting significant planning into these thefts, deciding how many items to take and even lowering that number after Laura was arrested by Police Scotland with stolen goods in her possession. The women sold the stolen products at around half the price they retailed for, making thousands in the process through online marketplaces and sales to individuals.”
The sisters were charged with conspiracy to steal items, and older sister Laura, 45, was also charged with acquiring criminal property. They pleaded guilty to all the charges and were each sentenced to two and a half years in prison at Lewes Crown Court.
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