A criminal gang stole £1 million worth of property from wealthy homes in London - by flying in Chilean burglars to do its dirty work.

Four of the 16 convicted were jailed after pleading guilty to the burglary of a house in Rickmansworth.

Last year wealthy homes in south west London and Surrey were being ransacked for luxury items such as designer clothes, handbags, jewellery and watches.

Known as Operation Genie, a Met Police investigation was launched following the spate of burglaries and in the past eight months 36 Chileans nationals have been arrested.

The gang, responsible for hundreds of burglaries, was flying South Americans into the country to burgle homes, which they would do within a week of landing on British soil.

All the burglaries were carried out in a similar way with the thieves going in through the first floor by using garden furniture or ladders.

This method ensured that alarm systems, which only covered the ground floor, were not triggered.

The properties targeted were in rural areas, often near parks or golf courses, and usually empty at the time. No violence was ever used.

Police managed to dismantle the gang by tracking their vehicles.

Out of the 36 Chileans arrested, 16 have been convicted of burglary-related offences, eight have been deported and 12 left the country after being released under investigation.

The investigation also found the burglars would try to move the stolen property out of the country.

Four of the 16 convicted were jailed after pleading guilty to the burglary of a house in Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire.

Alexis Apablaza, 22, Angelo Bustamente, 34, Javier Kurte, 24, and Gustavo Ahumada-Paredes, 19, all Chilean nationals, pleaded guilty to burglary at St Albans Crown Court on April 27.

Each was given a two-year jail sentence.

Detective Inspector Tim Court, an Organised Crime Advisor who co-ordinated the investigation, said: "As a result of this investigation, a large group of criminals, who were responsible for hundreds of burglaries in the London area in the past couple of years, have been imprisoned or deported.

"These offences were carried out in an organised way and the offenders appear to have come to London with the intention of carrying out burglaries.

"I would like to thank the Chilean Embassy, which has provided a great deal of support in helping to identify the people responsible for these crimes."

Detective Chief Superintendent Mick Gallagher, head of the Met's Organised Crime Command, said: "Operation Genie is a great example of how the new Organised Crime Advisors are able to provide specialist support to investigations into criminality that spread across several boroughs of London.

"Burglary is a crime that causes a great deal of distress to victims and the Met is determined to arrest and prosecute those responsible for this crime."