In the know

PC Fall and PC Simpson joined Runnymede Council Community Safety Officer Paul Smith at Egham Library this week for Meet the Beat – thank you to those who attended.

Elmbridge Safer Neighbourhood Team have received two reports of fraudulent activity at Cobham services. One incident occurred on Saturday 5 March and another incident on Monday 7 March. In both incidents, a male described as speaking with an 'Irish accent' has approached members of the public and asked for cash in return for a bank transfer. The members of public have given the male cash but no bank transfer has ever gone through. PC Matt Cramp is on the case trying to identify the male or males involved. We are appealing for anyone who believes they may have been approached by the suspect(s) to report this to Surrey Police via 101 or at Contact us | Surrey Police, quoting ref PR/45250041263. We would be particularly interested to hear from anyone who may have a photograph of the suspect(s) or have seen them with a vehicle.

Surrey Police & Trading Standards have been working together to crack down on illegal sales, seizing a large quantity of illicit vapes, alcohol, and shisha. These unregulated products can be dangerous, and we’re committed to keeping them off our streets to protect our community. During the operation, we even came across a vape that claimed to be ‘100% risk-free’—but strangely enough, it still ended up in our evidence bag! If you have concerns about illegal vape, alcohol, or shisha sales in your area, report them to Trading Standards or Surrey Police.

More than a decade ago, the first unmarked HGV was taken on patrol by officers in Surrey as part of Operation Tramline, a National Highways scheme aimed at detecting and deterring dangerous use of the roads. Sergeant Dan Pascoe of Surrey Police’s Vanguard Road Safety Team took part in the first operation in 2015 as a then-police constable and now leads the operation for both Surrey Police and Sussex Police. Over the years, police forces have spotted more than 51,000 offences, including use of a mobile phone and not wearing a seatbelt. During one Surrey operation, the driver of a car defended their use of a mobile phone by saying they had a new girlfriend, and their song came on the radio, so they needed to call them. On his involvement throughout the years, Dan said: “I’ve been lucky enough to be involved in almost every Tramline operation since its national deployment 10 years ago. "Drivers must not allow themselves to get distracted whilst driving - even when stationary in traffic or waiting at traffic lights. We know drivers miss important developing hazards or forget mirror checks when they're distracted, which can easily lead to a collision. “Whilst we are seeing less offending than 10 years ago, the numbers are still worryingly high. With research showing a driver using their phone whilst driving drops their ability to drive to (at best) a driver at the drink drive limit, the tenth year of Op Tramline will continue to make the roads of Surrey safer for all road users. "We can't be everywhere, but could be anywhere.”

A Staines shoplifter has been sentenced to time in prison, after plain clothes officers caught him red-handed stealing from Primark at Elmsleigh Shopping Centre.  Ryan Penney, 34, DOB: 06/06/1990, of no fixed address, was arrested on 4 April as part of a proactive policing operation targeting shoplifting and anti-social behaviour. Officers noticed him acting suspiciously so followed him into Primark where they saw him taking items of clothing, hiding them, and then leaving the shop without paying. He was swiftly arrested outside the shop and it was also discovered he was in breach of his Community Protection Notice (CPN). Whilst in custody, officers were also able to link him to three other recent thefts and he was remanded into custody to appear at court the next day. At Guildford Magistrates Court on 5 April, he was sentenced to four weeks in prison.  Investigating office PC Adam Carr, said; “This positive result was off the back of a proactive operation in Staines to tackle shoplifting, as we know this type of offence can have a devastating effect on businesses. We are pleased that our prompt action in arresting him and getting him to court, meant he was dealt with swiftly and is now behind bars.”

A man has been sentenced to two years in prison after pleading guilty to a spate of bulk shoplifting offences between June 2024 and January 2025. John Ward, 21 (DOB: 04.04.2003), of Ashford was arrested on Monday, 20 January following the shoplifting spree and charged with 19 counts of Conspiracy To Steal From Shop. Following further enquiries, Ward admitted to 24 additional incidents which were put forward to be taken into consideration during sentencing. Targeting Boots, Sainsbury's, Tesco and Co-op stores across Surrey, Thames Valley, Kent, London, Cleveland, Cheshire and Durham, Ward brazenly stole in excess of £60,000 worth of nicotine, healthcare and cosmetic products. In January of this year, Boots Intelligence Hub reported 19 incidents to Surrey Police which they believed to be connected. Within two weeks we had identified Ward as the suspect and arrested him. Once John Ward had been charged, we liaised with other national retailers to identify additional offences and the Sainsbury’s Intelligence Hub reported 18 offences linked to their stores. We also linked Ward to a further six incidents at Co-op, Tesco, and Boots, to which he admitted when questioned. Investigating Officer, PC Annalise Ware said: "We know shoplifting has a significant impact on businesses and can leave shop staff feeling fearful and vulnerable. It is a priority for us to robustly pursue any offenders and get them before the courts. We know that incidents often go unreported - especially for lower value goods - but we encourage any businesses to report because it helps us to build an information and intelligence picture which, in cases like this, have allowed us to charge and sentence Ward for multiple offences. I hope this outcome reassures our communities that we are committed to tackling this crime and how we are working in partnership with retailers in order to do so."

Five men at the centre of a criminal empire in which they dismantled and exported stolen cars were sentenced on Wednesday, 2 April at Guildford Crown Court.  High-value cars, including Porsches, Mercedes and BMWs were among the stolen vehicles discovered when officers carried out a warrant at a suspected 'chop shop' in Cranleigh on Friday, 11 October last year. Four men were caught in the act of dismantling stolen vehicles and were immediately arrested. Another man who was seen leaving the location was also arrested. They were subsequently charged and remanded for Conspiracy to Handle Stolen Goods.

Deividas Jakaitis, 37 (DOB: 01/09/1987), of no fixed address, was described as 'the ring-leader' of the 'chop shop', facilitating the theft of vehicles and organising the dismantling and shipment of stolen parts. He was also identified as paying for a lock-up facility in Chertsey to store the items. Between the two sites, more than £700,000 worth of stolen vehicles and parts were uncovered. He pleaded guilty on the first day of the trial and was sentenced to 32 months imprisonment.

Irmantas Lozuraitis, 41 (DOB: 07/03/1984), of no fixed address pleaded guilty on the first day of trial and was sentenced to eight months imprisonment.

Raimundas Dumcius, 24 (DOB: 24/07/2000), of no fixed address, pleaded guilty as the trial was looming and was sentenced to eight months imprisonment. 

Gytic Kirsinikas, 26 (DOB:12/01/1999), from Cranleigh also pleaded guild on the first day of trial and was sentenced to seven months imprisonment.

Eimantas Mikalauskas, 21 (DOB: 30/09/2002) from Cranleigh also pleaded guilty ahead of the trial and was sentenced to six months imprisonment. 

Investigating officer, Detective Constable Claire Phillips said: "These sentences are a result of the excellent teamwork between a number of teams in Surrey Police, as well as joint working with our colleagues in force areas nationally in which these vehicles were stolen from. These men attempted to evade detection by promptly changing the license plate of the stolen vehicles, but through our joint working we were still able to identify vehicles of the same make and model near to where the thefts occurred, which were then seen making their way to Surrey."

April is World Autism Acceptance Month, an opportunity to raise awareness and create a society where autistic people are supported, understood, and empowered. It is estimated that 700,000 people in the UK have a diagnosis of autism - around 1 in 100 people. We know that some people with autism can find it difficult to communicate with us. This is where our Pegasus scheme can help. To make contact easier and save time in an emergency, you can pre-register your information with us for free. If you call us, you then just need to say ‘Pegasus’ and tell us the PIN you were issued at sign up. With that, we can access your information and help you quickly. You can also show your Pegasus card to a police officer should you require assistance in person.