THIS is the shocking moment sneaky jewel thieves distract a driver at a petrol station and steal £2 million from his car boot.
An organised crime group targeted the jewellery salesman as he was travelling from Sussex to Kent last year.
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A gang of thieves targeted a jewellery salesman and started following him in Brighton
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After puncturing the man’s tyre he stops at a petrol station where one of the thieves lies waiting
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They distract the man just before another of the gang steals from his boot
Three of the group have now been jailed after they followed the man to a petrol station in Wrotham, Kent, before puncturing one of his tyres in January 2024.
The victim had been working in Brighton selling jewellery to several businesses and was carrying precious items worth around £2.25 million.
The CCTV footage shows the moment the thieves start following the salesman.
He was tracked by Edgar Ardila-Ruiz, Monica Diaz and Edward Florez-Ortiz and closely tailed his vehicle back to Kent.
When the man stopped at a petrol station in Wrotham, Florez-Ortiz punctured one of his tyres.
The man drove away but was forced to turn back and headed to an air pressure machine after noticing his tyre was flat.
While at the machine, the footage shows Monica Diaz distract the salesman by attempting to engage him in conversation.
Meanwhile, Ardila-Ruiz can be seen at the rear of the car snatching a bag of jewellery from the boot.
The CCTV footage recovered from the garage showed the suspects fleeing in a silver Toyota Corolla.
All three thieves were part of a gang responsible for other offences across the country including areas in London and parts of Essex and Hertfordshire.
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Ruiz and Diaz were later arrested on February 11 after attempting to steal from another travelling salesman near Bolton, Lancashire.
The victim had alerted police after he noticed a black BMW was following him.
Local officers ran checks showing Ruiz was wanted for the theft in Wrotham while Diaz was also recognised from the petrol station CCTV.
They both pleaded guilty at Maidstone Crown Court after they were charged with conspiracy to steal, and theft from a motor vehicle.
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While distracted one of the gang steals jewellery worth £2.25 million from the boot of the car
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The boot of the car can be seen opened as the thief flees
Ruiz and Diaz, both of no fixed address, were sentenced to three years and six months in prison.
Florez-Ortiz, from Islington, London, was identified as a third suspect and separately convicted at Chelmsford Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to theft and criminal damage.
He was jailed for six years and will undergo future extradition proceedings after he was sentenced to three years for another jewellery theft in Belgium in 2021.
All three will also now be the subject of a financial investigation under the Proceeds of Crime Act to claw back any criminal gains they may have made.
Detective Constable Leo Graham said: “Our investigation uncovered a wealth of evidence showing how all three offenders initially followed the victim on foot, before tailing his car.
“They waited patiently for the perfect opportunity to prey upon him and a later examination of his car led to the recovery of a metal item which had been inserted into the tyre by Florez-Ortiz.
“Ardila-Ruiz and Diaz were thankfully caught just weeks later, after following another salesman hundreds of miles away from Kent.
“These sentences are welcome, as it is clear they were part of a bigger network of organised criminality targeting victims throughout the country.”
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Edgar Ardila-Ruiz, Monica Diaz and Edward Florez-Ortiz were all jailed following the heistCredit: Kent Police
THIS is the terrifying moment a petrol station is engulfed in flames after a devastating fireball blast.
Four people died after a gas cylinder is believed to have caught on fire with footage showing a horror inferno as locals ran for their lives.
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A terrifying fireball eruption has killed four people after ripping through a petrol stationCredit: X
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Terrified onlookers were left running for their lives in DagestanCredit: X
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The charred remains of the gas station after it was left decimatedCredit: Telegram
Footage from Dagestan, Russia, shows the gas station up in flames with black clouds of smoke billowing through the air.
As the initial fireball raged on, a second, far more devastating blast erupted as the remaining gas cylinders and pumps all exploded.
Video filmed by a terrified local shows much of the village of Sulevkent in the Khasavyurt district attacked by a bright orange flash as the second blast hits.
The deafening sound of the inferno was met with the sight of debris flying through the air.
read more in major blasts
Residents who had left their homes to watch the initial explosion were quickly sent running for their lives as the second blast rang out.
The apocalyptic scenes were said to have been visible from several kilometers away, locals said.
Emergency services rushed to the scene to extinguish multiple fires which continued to burn for some time.
Four people were found and rushed to a nearby hospital with severe burns.
They all tragically died from their injuries.
Officials determined the initial explosion was caused by the depressurisation of a gas cylinder during refuelling operations, according to preliminary reports.
The gas station was left decimated alongside the adjacent service station and food vendors.
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The Dagestan prosecutor’s office is now conducting an investigation into the incident.
It comes less than a year after another petrol station explosion killed 13 people and injured 23 just outside the Dagistani capital of Makhachkala.
Two children were among the casualties, authorities confirmed.
Horrifying video showed the enormous explosion – which then hurled a fuel tank 1,000ft towards a high rise block.
Locals claimed the blast was so strong that the ground shook like in an earthquake.
In August 2023, a third massive blast at a gas station in Dagestan killed 35 people and injured 115 more.
The fire started at a car repair shop before engulfing the nearby Nafta 24 filling station – sending it up in flames before triggering a giant explosion.
It took firefighters more than three and a half hours to put out the blaze as it spread to an area of 600 square metres, TASS reports.
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Concerns first rose over the severity of the blast after an initial fireball erupted at a gas cylinder at the stationCredit: X
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Black clouds of smoke billowed through the air as the flames roaredCredit: X
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Locals hugged each other as the flames continued to burn over the village of SulevkentCredit: X
THERE are loads of ways for Brits to use apps to slash bills this summer.
You can easily find the cheapest prices for food, petrol, flights and parking. If you use them regularly, you could easily save hundreds a year.
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PetrolPrices is one easy way to bring down your fuel billsCredit: PetrolPrices
CHEAPER PETROL
One great option for drivers is the PetrolPrices.
The name is the giveaway here. This app is designed to help you find the cheapest petrol prices in the area.
You can see the locations on a map, or find them as a list sorted by lowest price, distance, and even brands.
Site owners can upload their own prices, and users can report the fuel costs too.
It means you don’t have to drive around looking for the cheap prices – or face a price shock at the pump.
Another handy tip is using the Google Maps fuel efficiency feature.
Turn it on by going into Google Maps > Profile > Settings > Navigation > Route Options > Prefer Fuel-Efficient Routes.
“Google Maps can estimate fuel or energy efficiency for different vehicle types, including electric and combustion engine cars, as well as petrol motorcycles,” Google explained.
“The more fuel or energy efficient the route, the lower your vehicle’s fuel or energy usage.”
You should also tell Google your engine type in Google Maps > Profile > Settings > Your Vehicle.
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That can give you even better fuel-efficiency.
“The most fuel or energy-efficient route can be different based on the engine type,” Google said.
“For example, diesel vehicles’ relative fuel economy advantage is generally greatest in motorway driving.
“Hybrid and electric vehicles tend to provide greater efficiency in stop-start town and hill driving where they can benefit from regenerative braking.”
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Tell Google your vehicle type to save money on fuelCredit: Google
FOOD PRICES
For food savings, you’ll want to first take a look at Trolley.
It lets you compare prices for groceries across supermarkets, with a long list of stores including:
Asda
Sainsburys
Aldi
Home Bargains
Morrisons
Tesco
Boots
Wilko
Coop
Waitrose
Superdrug
B&M
Ocado
Iceland
Savers
Poundland
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Trolley lets you compare prices between loads of supermarketsCredit: Trolley
The app says it’ll save you up to 30% on a weekly shop, but your own success will vary depending on what you buy and how much you spend.
Another option – recently tested by The Sun’s tech desk – is to use the Google Gemini chatbot.
You can use it to plan your food shop by asking the bot to find the cheapest prices.
It’s also worth noting that you can bag cheap or free food by picking up leftovers or stuff that would be otherwise thrown away.
Two apps – Olio and Too Good To Go – are packed with food bargains.
And if you want free food, Sky customers can bag a weekly treat from the Sainsbury’s Taste the Difference range through the MySky app.
Just go to the Sky VIP panel (which is free to join) to claim your freebie.
We’ve seen ice lollies and pizzas so far, but there’s a new option every week.
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Sky hands out freebies to customers every week, courtesy of Sainsbury’sCredit: Sky / The Sun
FLIGHT COMPARISONS
There’s no denying that Skyscanner is a brilliant option for finding cheap flights.
But you should also take a look at Google Flights, which has some clever tricks.
For a start, when you’re searching for flights, it can show you the cheapest window to book.
“For example, these insights could tell you that the cheapest time to book similar trips is usually two months before departure, and you’re currently in that sweet spot,” Google said.
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Google Flights will show you the cheapest time to bookCredit: Google
“Or you might learn that prices have usually dropped closer to takeoff, so you decide to wait before booking. Either way, you can make that decision with a greater sense of confidence.”
You can also turn on price tracking for specific dates (like if you’re off to a wedding) or for any dates (if you just want a holiday at some point soon).
This feature will only appear if you’re signed in to your Google account.
And right now, Google Flights is getting an upgrade with the Flights Deal feature.
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You can track prices on Google Flights to get notificationsCredit: Google
It’s currently only in the US, Canada, and India – but it looks likely to land in the UK eventually too.
The feature works using AI with Google saying it’s “for flexible travellers whose number one goal is saving money“.
“Instead of playing with different dates, destinations and filters to uncover the best deals, you can just describe when, where and how you’d like to travel — as though you’re talking to a friend — and Flight Deals will take care of the rest,” Google said.
For example, you could search for a “week-long trip this winter to a city with great food, nonstop only”, Google revealed.
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Google’s upcoming Flight Deals feature lets you chat with an AI holiday helperCredit: Google
Then it’ll use Google Fights data to show you the latest options from loads of airlines.
CHEAP PARKING
Lastly, make sure you’re not overpaying on parking.
There’s a great app called JustPark, which you might be familiar with as a way to pay at some car parks.
But it also lets people rent out their driveways, which means you can bag some great bargains.
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JustPark is a great way to find cheap parking across the UKCredit: JustPark
You can book them far in advance, and even add on insurance that covers the excess if your car ends up getting damaged.
You can easily check and amend (or cancel) your driveway parking through the app from anywhere. So you could add extra time if you’re running late.
And it’s potentially a great way to bag a bargain for sports fixtures by getting near-stadium parking.
You could also turn it into a side-hustle by renting out your own parking space.
So you wouldn’t just be saving money, but making some quick cash too.
HOW TO RENT YOUR DRIVEWAY FOR CASH
Here’s how the process works on JustPark…
First, you go to JustPark and go through the Get A Quote process.
That involves handing over your name, postcode, and an email address.
Then you add the details for your actual space, choose the days and hours that you prefer, and set a price.
You’ll need to be the legal owner of the space, or have permission from the landlord.
JustPark will let you know when you get a booking from one of the 13 million drivers on the app.
As long as you’ve given clear parking instructions, you shouldn’t need to do much else.
You don’t need to make your space available constantly.
For instance, you could set it so that it’s only available while you’re out at work – or while you’re away on holiday.
You can take down your space from JustPark if you get tired of it – or if you decide it’s just too much hassle.
For short-term bookings, money is added to your JustPark account 48 hours after the it begins. And longer-term bookings will see payments added after the first month.
You can do manual withdrawals, or set up automatic withdrawals every month or quarter.
And it’ll take up to 10 working days for the money to come into your bank account.
