Perilous Times
Romanian gypsy gang 'snatched 200 children from homes to use them as
beggars'
A gang of Romanian gypsy child-snatchers stole almost 200 poor children
from their families and brought them to Britain to pick pockets, a
court heard.
By Andy Bloxham
Published: 6:15PM BST 27 Sep 2010
A gang of Romanian gypsy child-snatchers stole almost 200 poor children
from their families and brought them to Britain to pick pockets, a
court heard.
One of the child-snatching gang is arrested Photo: CEN
The gang has been described as a modern-day version of Fagin's urchins
in the Charles Dickens' novel Oliver Twist.
However, the 181 children were beaten and abused, with some even
deliberately disfigured to increase their earning potential, as
disabled beggars were thought to generate more income.
Those who did not beg were forced to pick pockets, wash car windscreens
or shoplift. The children then had to give every penny of their
earnings to the men in control.
Prosecutors said many of the children – taken from some of the most
deprived parts of Romania – were even schooled in crime before being
trafficked into the UK to work.
Twenty-six men went on trial at Harghita Criminal Court accused of
trafficking offences.
The defendants – from Tandarei in Ialomita county, southern Romania –
are also charged with money laundering, firearms offences and
membership of local mafia clans.
The gang came to the attention of the authorities in Romania after
grand homes began to appear among the gipsy community at Tandarei which
were being built for people who had no apparent income.
More than 300 officers raided addresses across Slough in Berkshire and
in Romania.
Dozens of firearms including AK-47 assault rifles and grenade launchers
were seized in raids on more than 30 properties and hundreds of
thousands of pounds of cash, jewellery, cars and property were
confiscated along with bogus child travel documents.
The youngsters, who ranged from a baby a few months old to a
17-year-old, were taken into care by Slough borough council.
Prosecutors from Romania's Directorate for Investigating Organised
Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) said the gang arranged the transport and
bogus documents to get the children to Britain and then held them
hostage in a series of safe houses run by the gangs.
Some were taught how to steal money from shops and restaurants while
others were given instructions in burglary while under constant
supervision by a gang member, court documents show.
A police spokesman said: "The children were told their families would
be at risk if they tried to flee, and families were told the children
would be harmed if they made a complaint to authorities."
The leaders of the group are identified in the court documents as
Constantin Radu, Nicolae Schian, Tase Dumitru – nicknamed "Chinezul The
Chinese", Mircea Niculae and Gheorghe Ion Dragusin.