Colombian thief is deported partway through his sentence for his gang's £64,000 thefts from elderly people at cashpoints

Armet Cortes, 55, was deported after serving only a portion of a three-year and eight-month sentence, while fellow gang member Willmer Guzman, 63, had already been removed earlier this year. The two Colombian nationals targeted 14 victims — mostly lone women and elderly people — across Sunderland, Newcastle, Hexham, Scarborough and London, using coin-scattering distractions, feigned injuries and silent hand signals to steal £64,000. One woman who lost £10,000 was followed home by bus before a gang member faked a fall; while she went to help, accomplices grabbed her bag.

One victim was left having to return to work and delay her retirement after the gang stole her savings.

Judge Andrew Smith told Newcastle Crown Court the gang had deliberately chosen victims 'unlikely to fight back or challenge' them.

Border Security Minister Anna Turley warned other foreign criminals would get 'a one-way ticket out of the UK' if they tried to 'cash in on our hospitality'.