An organised criminal gang stole jewellery and clothing worth £65,000 from a house during a spate of break-ins across Lanarkshire.
A police investigation into the crimes resulted in two men from the Republic of Ireland appearing from custody via videolink at Hamilton Sheriff Court on Friday.
Michael Connors, 22 of Dublin, admitted breaking into a house in Birkdale Wood, Cumbernauld, and one in Winderemere Gardens, Hamilton.
James Connors, 23, also of Dublin, admitted involvement in a raid on a property in Dunlin, East Kilbride.
The men admitted acting with others and that the break-ins were aggravated by a connection to serious organised crime.
The crimes were committed in January 2018, but it was only last summer that the pair were arrested. They have been held in custody since.
Chloe O'Hara, prosecuting, said police investigated a number of "high value" housebreaking across the west of Scotland that began in 2017.
Referring to the Cumbernauld raid, she said the householder returned home about 10.30pm to find patio doors had been smashed and rooms ransacked.
Stolen items included jewellery and handbags, and the estimated total value was £65,000. Only about £20,000 worth was recovered.
A similar break-in occurred at a house in Windermere Gardens, Hamilton, a week later.
This time the value of goods stolen was around £27,000 and nothing was recovered.
Ms O'Hara also described how a house in Dunlin, East Kilbride, was targeted on the same day as the Hamilton raid.
She told the court: “A neighbour heard an alarm go off about 6.15pm. She saw four persons, all dressed in black and wearing balaclavas and baseball caps, come out from the side of a house and enter a vehicle that sped off."
Again, bags and jewellery were stolen. The value of the haul was £1,700 and only items worth £400 were recovered.
The two accused were traced to a hotel and “numerous” handbags were found in a room there.
Police also seized a handwritten list containing addresses they believed were being targeted by the gang.
Neither of the accused has previous convictions.
Sheriff Andrew McIntyre deferred sentence until next month and remanded the men in custody.
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