A large amount of gold was stolen from a home in Bewbush yesterday (Monday February 11).
A Cowfold Close resident returned home at around 5.45pm and disturbed three male burglars who ran down the stairs through the kitchen and out the back door.
The break-in is being linked to Operation Minnesota, a series of burglaries targeting gold jewellery often kept in Asian households.
The intruders are described as white, around 5ft 7in and in their mid to late 20s. All were wearing black scarves around their faces.
Detective Inspector Tracy Edwards said: “It seems they broke into the house while it was unoccupied and made off as soon as they realised the resident had returned home. They did not speak to the resident and tried to avoid being seen by them.
“We urge people to make sure their homes are secure and their valuable items are put into a safe and stored somewhere secure. Both locally and nationally we are seeing men in threes and often with a woman acting as look-out. If you do see anything suspicious in your area please call the police, if you suspect someone is breaking into a neighbours’ house then call 999 immediately.
“We have had numerous successful arrests recently and we need to make sure that Crawley is a hostile environment for these criminals, please be vigilant and record suspicious vehicle details to pass on to the police. With the public’s help we can ensure these individuals pay the price for their criminality.”
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting Operation Minnesota.