Cheshire’s Golden Triangle hit by Chilean robbery gangs

Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez was hit in a £350,000 raid

Over 1,000 Chileans have been deported over the past two years following a clamp down on burglary tourists targeting Premier football aces

Gangs have entered the country to specifically target Cheshire’s Golden Triangle of Wilmslow, Alderley Edge and Prestbury – all popular with top footballers.

The Sun on Sunday revealed Manchester City’s Riyad Mahrez, 29, was hit in a £350,000 raid.

Now, scores of Chilean criminals have been booted out as detectives battle the scourge.

Jorge Sanchez, who heads Chile’s anti-robbery unit in Santiago, says his team has been working overtime to rid the UK of crooks who travel for lucrative burglary holidays.

He said: “More than a thousand Chileans were deported from the UK between 2017 and 2019 for a range of reasons, from problems with their immigration status to robbery offences.

“People in the UK are very trusting.

“They leave the handbag on the floor and leave their doors open.

“These are easy pickings for Chilean thieves.”

He added that some burglars post the stolen goods online which makes them easier to track down.

Mr Sanchez added: “Some of the younger ones enjoy telling their peers about how well they are doing on social media – posing with stolen goods in front of well-known landmarks – and this makes it easier for us to catch them.”

This year alone South American thieves are believed to have struck eight times in Cheshire’s “Golden Triangle” area of Wilmslow, Alderley Edge and Prestbury.