ianstone
09-27-2010, 04:24 PM
In the dock, the gang of modern-day Romanian Fagins accused of mutilating children to beg on British streets
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 7:42 PM on 27th September 2010
Add to My Stories (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315672/Gang-26-modern-day-Romanian-Fagins-accused-mutilating-children-send-UK-beg-trial.html)
A huge trial began today in Romania featuring 26 members of a brutal child trafficking gang accused of forcing 181 gypsy children to beg on the streets of Britain.
Some of them are charged with sending their own children and those of relatives to earn cash here.
Judge Daniela Bejenaru rejected bail requests at Harghita Criminal Court and ordered that 18 men be held until the trial.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/27/article-1315672-0B5FCA5F000005DC-50_468x325.jpg Accused: Some of the 26 men on trial listen to legal arguments on the opening day of their trial. Charges against them include child trafficking, money laundering, firearms offences and membership of local mafia clans.
Prosecutors in Romania have filed charges against 26 modern-day Fagins related to child trafficking, money laundering, firearms offences and membership of local mafia clans.
Eighteen are now in custody awaiting trial, seven are on bail and one other, Ilie Schian, 48, is being held at Wandsworth Jail in the UK.
Court documents allege that 181 children were sent to the UK by the gang, who travelled all over Romania to snatch children from the poorest families.
Disabled children are said to have been particularly sought after because they made more effective beggars.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/27/article-1315672-0B5FCA84000005DC-17_468x286.jpg Anxious: Parents of children involved in the case wait outside ahead of the trial. Many of the children involved came from some of Romania's poorest families
The terrified youngsters were allegedly beaten and abused and put to work begging and stealing in British cities and some were even said to have been disfigured to increase their earning potential on the street.
The indictment reads the gang started to operate in 2002, when the indicted started a criminal gang to recruit and traffic children from Tandarei and neighbouring areas to the UK and Spain.
The children were sent to beg in the streets or to shoplift and pickpocket, it reads, and prosecutors' documents show the children had several times been investigated in UK for begging in areas including Oxford Circus and Windsor Street.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/27/article-1315672-0B5FCA51000005DC-75_468x312.jpg Waiting game: Many of the parents managed to force their way inside the courtroom for the start of proceedings, but some had to wait their turn
The indictment reads the gang members now on trial used to use fake documents to be able to take the children with them. It claims the gang in Romania recruited and transported the minors from Romania to UK, where another part of the gang would exploit the children.
Alleged gang leader Radu Constantin is accused of loaning money to the families to win their trust - and promising children a good life and school in the UK before using them for begging.
The gang was cracked in a series of arrests after a joint operation by British and local police.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/27/article-1315672-0B607295000005DC-972_468x286.jpg Modern-day Fagins: Police pin down one of the alleged gang suspects. Court documents allege that 181 children were sent to the UK by the traffickers
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/27/article-1315672-0B60720E000005DC-340_468x286.jpg Ram raid: Police batter through a door at the start of the operation, which led to the arrest of more than 30 Romanian mobsters.
The trial opened today at Harghita Criminal Court after a massive investigation involving more than 300 police officers.
Dozens of firearms including AK47 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.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315672/Gang-26-modern-day-Romanian-Fagins-accused-mutilating-children-send-UK-beg-trial.html#ixzz10lOVbMnB
By Daily Mail Reporter (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/search.html?s=y&authornamef=Daily+Mail+Reporter)
Last updated at 7:42 PM on 27th September 2010
Add to My Stories (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315672/Gang-26-modern-day-Romanian-Fagins-accused-mutilating-children-send-UK-beg-trial.html)
A huge trial began today in Romania featuring 26 members of a brutal child trafficking gang accused of forcing 181 gypsy children to beg on the streets of Britain.
Some of them are charged with sending their own children and those of relatives to earn cash here.
Judge Daniela Bejenaru rejected bail requests at Harghita Criminal Court and ordered that 18 men be held until the trial.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/27/article-1315672-0B5FCA5F000005DC-50_468x325.jpg Accused: Some of the 26 men on trial listen to legal arguments on the opening day of their trial. Charges against them include child trafficking, money laundering, firearms offences and membership of local mafia clans.
Prosecutors in Romania have filed charges against 26 modern-day Fagins related to child trafficking, money laundering, firearms offences and membership of local mafia clans.
Eighteen are now in custody awaiting trial, seven are on bail and one other, Ilie Schian, 48, is being held at Wandsworth Jail in the UK.
Court documents allege that 181 children were sent to the UK by the gang, who travelled all over Romania to snatch children from the poorest families.
Disabled children are said to have been particularly sought after because they made more effective beggars.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/27/article-1315672-0B5FCA84000005DC-17_468x286.jpg Anxious: Parents of children involved in the case wait outside ahead of the trial. Many of the children involved came from some of Romania's poorest families
The terrified youngsters were allegedly beaten and abused and put to work begging and stealing in British cities and some were even said to have been disfigured to increase their earning potential on the street.
The indictment reads the gang started to operate in 2002, when the indicted started a criminal gang to recruit and traffic children from Tandarei and neighbouring areas to the UK and Spain.
The children were sent to beg in the streets or to shoplift and pickpocket, it reads, and prosecutors' documents show the children had several times been investigated in UK for begging in areas including Oxford Circus and Windsor Street.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/27/article-1315672-0B5FCA51000005DC-75_468x312.jpg Waiting game: Many of the parents managed to force their way inside the courtroom for the start of proceedings, but some had to wait their turn
The indictment reads the gang members now on trial used to use fake documents to be able to take the children with them. It claims the gang in Romania recruited and transported the minors from Romania to UK, where another part of the gang would exploit the children.
Alleged gang leader Radu Constantin is accused of loaning money to the families to win their trust - and promising children a good life and school in the UK before using them for begging.
The gang was cracked in a series of arrests after a joint operation by British and local police.
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/27/article-1315672-0B607295000005DC-972_468x286.jpg Modern-day Fagins: Police pin down one of the alleged gang suspects. Court documents allege that 181 children were sent to the UK by the traffickers
http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2010/09/27/article-1315672-0B60720E000005DC-340_468x286.jpg Ram raid: Police batter through a door at the start of the operation, which led to the arrest of more than 30 Romanian mobsters.
The trial opened today at Harghita Criminal Court after a massive investigation involving more than 300 police officers.
Dozens of firearms including AK47 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.
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1315672/Gang-26-modern-day-Romanian-Fagins-accused-mutilating-children-send-UK-beg-trial.html#ixzz10lOVbMnB