The conspiracy saw some of the defendants make off with loot including cars, thousands of pound in cash and cigarettes in a series of well-organised thefts, burglaries and robberies at numerous locations including Stourbridge, Gornal, Wordsley, Wombourne, Bilston and Brierley Hill in 2021 and 2022. Some of the convenience stores were raided multiple times with the staff ordered to open the safes containing takings. Among the business premises struck was Wolverhampton's Brindley motor garage where 15 vehicles were snatched in a carefully planned attack. The group was sentenced on Tuesday (July 1) following a two-day hearing at Wolverhampton Crown Court which heard that even handbags and wallets containing bank cards were stolen from terrified shop workers and customers during the spree, before detectives investigating a string of raids gathered enough evidence to nab the culprits. Sentencing the men Judge Jonathan Gosling said: "The prosecution resulted in the conviction and imprisonment of six members of an organised gang. The leading players were professional and utterly ruthless. They terrorised numerous staff members and customers in small local businesses and caused misery and hardship to the victims. "They were forensically aware, so assembling the evidence against them from numerous sources because identification at the scene was impossible took, I have no doubt, thousands of hours of detective work and resources. I commend this outstanding police work to the Chief Constable of the West Midlands. He will doubtless suitably recognise and reward the team of officers involved." The incidents included a robbery at One Stop, in Throne Road, Rowley Regis, on October 21, 2021 where £500 cash and cigarettes were stolen. The following day at a shop in Swan Lane, Wordsley, £4,000 worth of tobacco and £230 cash. During this incident two customers present were told to lie on the floor, threatened with a crowbar and a wallet taken.