The James Bond Gang: Sophisticated And Focused Burglars Plague New Jersey’s Affluent [Video]

Chatham, NJ – Police have warned residents of New Jersey’s affluent neighborhoods to be on the lookout for a highly sophisticated team of burglars authorities and media have taken to calling the “James Bond Gang.”

According to CBS New York, the James Bond Gang are believed to have broken into dozens of well-to-do New Jersey homes over a span of a year and a half. The gang is reportedly comprised of 30 to 50 individuals, and, in March, the New Providence deputy chief of police gave reporters an insight as to the group’s M.O.:

The James Bond Gang normally come through “a forced entry, a dash to the bedroom to grab jewelry and cash, then a quick exit, usually through a different door,” the deputy chief explained. “The thieves pick up jewelry and cash because the gold in the jewelry can be melted down within 24 hours and is unidentifiable.”

The latest incident occurred on October 7, when a Chatham man came home from vacation to discover that his house had been broken into, reports The Star Ledger. The James Bond Gang stole mostly jewelry from the Chatham house and reportedly disabled the security alarm and video surveillance system as soon as they arrived. They moved quickly through the house, and what little the surveillance footage managed to capture before it was turned off were four masked individuals breaking in the front door.

So why the flattering handle? NBC New York reports that the title “James Bond Gang” actually calls back to a group in the 1980s with a similar M.O. who used a 007-style BMW as a getaway car. They would also spill oil from a pipe onto the road to escape pursuers and had flip-up license plate covers. The current iteration of the group generally targets homes near highways so that they can make a quick escape and recruit new members when active members get arrested.

Steven Crawford, police chief of Mendham Township, said that the gang is “honed in on burglary and seems to be rather structured.”

“It’s a problem, but they’re going to get caught,” Crawford said of the notorious James Bond Gang. “It’s just a matter of when.”

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