Burglary gangs who target Oldham and Rochdale for Asian gold plunder gems worth £1.1million in one year

Callous burglary gangs who target Asian communities have plundered gold worth £1.1m in the last year, leaving fear and trauma in their wake.

Teams of burglars, often from outside of Greater Manchester, are stalking areas like Oldham and Rochdale, swiping valuables worth tens of thousands while the owners are out. Often, the jewels and gold they are stealing are family heirlooms which have been in families for generations.

It's a year-round problem for many Asian communities no matter the religion, but it becomes particularly acute during Ramadan, when Muslim families visit relatives and go to prayer more often, leaving their homes vulnerable.

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The Manchester Evening News has previously reported how one Asian family, from Rochdale, watched 'nanny-cam' footage of a burglary apparently in progress at their home as they flew back to Manchester following a pilgrimage to Mecca.

After the family landed at Manchester Airport and returned to their home in Rochdale, they found a neighbour had already alerted the police.

One family member added said: "Everything was upside down, all the drawers had been turned out and the cupboards and cabinets had been opened. They had opened all the doors and emptied boxes. Everything was inside out and all over the place. They were clearly looking for something. They were going through small places where you would normally hide things, important stuff like money, jewellery and gold. It was almost like they were using a metal detector. All the cushions from the sofa had been removed, where coins might have fallen down the sides.

"I think they knew we were away. I think somebody was watching and saw a change in hour habits and used it as an