A gang of high-tech Romanian thieves who stole £750,000 from cash machines across the UK have been jailed for more than 25 years.
The nine men, who used the tagline 'F* the police', used high-tech devices to bypass security systems and withdraw cash more than 3,300 times.
The shameless gang purchases flash sports cars and one member even had a shortened version of the slogan - FTP - tattooed on the back of his neck.
They descended on more than 50 separate ATMs late at night over an 11-month period in 2024, while employing lookouts to provide cover.
Linked to more than a dozen properties in Romania, while in the UK they operated out of a temporary base in Luton.
But police caught up with the group, first making arrests in December 2024, including detaining several of the gang members at Luton Airport as they tried to flee the country.
The arrests enabled the Eastern Region Special Operations Unit to seize evidence including complex chipboards programmed to manipulate ATMs.
Significant evidence was uncovered from the group, including the chipboards programmed to bypass cashpoint security measures.
A gang of high-tech Romanian thieves who stole £750,000 from cash machines across the UK have been jailed for more than 25 years
Silviu Alistar, 32, of no fixed address, even had the gang's 'F* the police' tagline tattooed on the back of his neck
Raids carried out on properties in Romania revealed one had a swimming pool with 'F* the police' emblazoned across the bottom
Officers also seized an ATM machine which had been purchased from China, with indications that new technology was being developed for future offending.
In a second round of raids eight months ago, UK law enforcement was assisted by colleagues in Romania, who searched 18 address in the Bacau region of the country.
At one property, they found the slogan 'F* the police' emblazoned upon the front gate, as well as painted across the bottom of a swimming pool.
Officers also seized a Lamborghini and Porsche at the house, which had been transformed into a stronghold-style base.
On Friday Ionut Pogar, 32, of no fixed address was sentenced to three years and one month imprisonment, after admitting conspiracy to defraud and conspiracy to launder money.
Silviu Alistar, 32, of no fixed address, pleaded guilty to the same offences and was sentenced to two years and three months.
Seven other Romanians have already been sentenced to a total of nearly 24 years in jail after pleading guilty to the same charges.
Alex Munteanu, 38, of no fixed address was sentenced to four years and six months; Constantin Boghiu, 25, of Kimpton Road Luton was sentenced to three years and three months; and Alex Militaru, 25, of High Street Watton Thetford was jailed for two years and five months.
The nine men, who used the tagline 'F* the police', used high-tech devices to bypass security systems and withdraw cash more than 3,300 times.
A member of the gang makes a cash withdrawal from an ATM using their high-tech devices - more than 50 separate machines were targeted between February and December 2024.
Officers in Romania seized luxury vehicles from the gang, including a Porsche and a Lamborghini.
One of the properties had been turned into a stronghold with the gang's slogan carved into the front gate.
Marius Chifan, 34, of St Catherines Avenue, Luton, was sentenced to three years and three months; while Gabriel Rosu, 33, of Flowers Way Luton, was sentenced to three years and six months imprisonment.
Cristian Cimpoesu, 28, of no fixed address, was sentenced to 18 months; and Razvan Verde, 31, of no fixed address, who also admitted a further charge of possession of articles for use in fraud, was sentenced to four years and four months.
All the men are understood to face deportation after serving their terms.
Detective Inspector Dan Barker said: 'This was a complex and far-reaching investigation into an organised crime group responsible for dozens of attacks on cash machines across the UK. Their offending was persistent, coordinated, and carried out on an almost industrial scale.
'Tracking their movements, linking more than 3,000 fraudulent withdrawals, and uncovering the technology behind their offending required extensive work both here and overseas.
'During our investigation, officers also recovered a cash machine the offenders had purchased from China, with clear indications new technology was being developed for further offending - illustrating the lengths these criminals were prepared to go to commit crime and evade detection.'