Pickpockets' castle

Watch your bags and pockets: while Romanian pickpockets are haunting Europe, Romania has turned into a target for foreign thieves cartels.
According to the Police archive, in 2007 thefts have been more numerous than ever, with hypermarkets as favorite places. The Police managed to catch a gang of Czech pickpockets just because they were too greedy, although it was their first action.
The thieves are informed, given accommodation and taken to the location by heads of the Romanian underground world, who are part of a very well working European cartel.
An operative group is made up of 3-5 individuals and the group spends 5 days at most in a city and 1 month at most in a country before being moved. When working abroad, Romanian pickpockets get the same treatment.
In Bucharest there take place 10 thefts every half an hour on an average. Cards are broken in just a few seconds, before the victim gets to announce the bank. When the prey is substantial, pickpockets use extreme violence even in the parking areas of supermarkets guarded by security companies. The Police have sent under cover agents to supermarkets these days. A retired pickpocket tells ZIUA: "In Bucharest there are no more than 10 people who control it. The press has reported on some, but in vain, nothing is happening." (...)

I.G.
Ziua Joi 6 Septembrie 2007 http://www.ziua.net/english