LOWER MERION \u2014 Lower Merion Township police are investigating two recent residential burglaries that investigators believe are linked to foreign theft gangs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere were two burglaries yesterday in the township that we have reason to believe are related to the South American theft group,\u201d Lower Merion Police Superintendent Andy Block said this week.<\/p>\n
The two burglaries occurred in the late afternoon hours of July 7.<\/p>\n
One of the two burglaries occurred at a home on the 1500 block of Flat Rock Road in Penn Valley, and the other at a residence in the 300 block of Llanfair Road in Wynnewood.<\/p>\n
At the Penn Valley residence, force was discovered on a second-floor French door. The suspects appear to have immediately gone to the master bedroom, and ransacking was discovered. At the Wynnewood home, it was entered through an unsecured side window during the early evening hours.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese remain under investigation by our detective unit,\u201d Block said. \u201cWe will be coordinating, obviously, with the other police departments in the area. I\u2019m not aware at this point that there\u2019s been other activity in the other townships.\u201d<\/p>\n
Block said they will coordinate with other area departments about additional activity.<\/p>\n
He also urged residents to register their house for the township\u2019s vacant house watch program if they\u2019re going on vacation. The police department will check those residences when they\u2019re away.<\/p>\n
If their homes have alarm systems, he\u2019s asking residents to use them. It may work as a deterrent in certain situations. In addition, if there are cameras on the property, let the police know if they see any suspicious activity and call 911 so the police can investigate.<\/p>\n
Last month, police reported that a hidden camera was found along the 900 block of Stony Lane in Gladwyne.<\/p>\n
Investigators linked the device to what they described as a highly organized network known as the South American Theft Group, which used the hidden cameras to surveil homeowners\u2019 routines and map out the best times to break in.<\/p>\n