Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been issued a chilling security warning after a spate of burglaries rocked their ritzy Montecito community.

The Duke and Duchess, who were away in Jamaica for the premiere of the new Bob Marley movie at the time of the recent crimes, were cautioned by cops that they may be the next targets of an organized gang plaguing the area.

The most recent burglary occurred at a property that was just a five-minute drive from the Sussexes’ $15 million mansion in Montecito, California on Wednesday, with the gang known to target safes.

Their neighborhood, which also counts Katy Perry and Orlando Bloom as residents, was issued an alarming alert from Santa Barbara County Sheriff officer Rachel Zick, while community group The Montecito Association offered tips on home security.

It is far from the first security scare at the couple’s California estate, with it reported in July 2022 that their mansion had been the subject of six break-in alerts in the first 14 months of their move to America.

The officer’s message said: ‘In the past week, deputies have taken several burglary reports with notable similarities in the resident layouts, times of occurrence and items taken.

‘In these burglaries, criminals target unoccupied residences that back up to open spaces such as golf courses as well as creeks, streams or the ocean.

‘Investigators have noted most of these crimes tend to occur between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.

‘The most recent burglaries occurred on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, in the 1500-block of Las Tunas in Montecito, and two in the 800- block of Sand Point Lane, Carpinteria. The suspect(s) in these cases are targeting safes.’

The Sussexes have a team of guards which includes Christopher Sanchez, who has worked in the past for Barack Obama, and Christopher Keenan, who protected Hillary Clinton, reports The Mirror.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex made a surprise visit to the Caribbean country this week to attend the premiere of Bob Marley: One Love and support the Marley family.

The pair were branded ‘insensitive’ after posing with Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who wants to ditch the monarchy – just as King Charles prepares for prostate treatment and the Princess of Wales recovers in hospital from abdominal surgery.

According to The Times, the timing of Harry and Meghan’s visit as guests of Brian Robbins, the chief executive of Paramount, was not received particularly well by those at Buckingham Palace due to both political and personal reasons.

According to the newspaper, one well-placed source said the trip was ‘not especially welcome back in London’ while another said the excursion was ‘misguided’.