"James Bond Gang" burglarizing homes in New Jersey, police say

(CBS) CHATHAM TOWNSHIP, N.J.- Police say a group of sophisticated bandits in a burglary ring known as the "James Bond Gang" have begun targeting homes in affluent areas of New Jersey, CBS New York reports.

Over the past year, the gang has allegedly burglarized dozens of homes. The most recent, in Chatham Township, was caught on video, the station reported Tuesday.

On the video, one of the suspects is seen walking up to the front door of the home and bumping it several times with his backside. The other suspects make their way in after the door busts open.

Once inside, the suspects pulled the plugs on cameras and dismantled the alarm system by ripping the panel out of the wall.

Jewelry and a high-end pocketbook were taken from the home, Chatham Township Police Detective Sgt. Maureen Kazaba said.

Police have not said how much jewelry was taken but they say that the burglars are connected with the James Bond Gang. The ring gets its name from burglars back in the 1980s, who used 007-style getaway cars - some rigged with revolving license plates, according to CBS New York.

The gang has broken into several homes in Somerset and Morris counties over the past several months. In one burglary on Sandy Hill Road in Chatham Township, surveillance cameras captured the suspects pacing around the house for 13 minutes before they find and disable the alarm panel, police said.

Residents in the area have been taking precautions, including having the post office hold their mail while on vacation, putting in a time to turn lights on and off in the house, and halting delivery of newspapers.

In 2011, several men were arrested in Bergen County, N.J., for targeting homes in Sparta. Police believe as gang members get imprisoned, new criminals are recruited.