Caught on camera: Moment thieves surround a tourist in Paris and take his money | Welcome to Linda Ikeji's Blog

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Tuesday 22 April 2014

Caught on camera: Moment thieves surround a tourist in Paris and take his money

This is the moment an aggressive gang of Roma young thieves surround a middle-aged tourist near Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris and took the money he just withdrew from a cash point. 

Such scenes have become so common in the French capital that police last week called for the 'systematic eviction' of Roma. Groups of thieves, many of them teenagers, swarm around the main tourist landmarks day and night, UK Daily Mail reports. Continue...


The middle-aged victim turns around in a fright as the thieves swarm around him
'They respect nobody – they just want money or anything else they can steal,' said another tourist who witnessed the incident at the cashpoint between Notre Dame and the Louvre museum, in the 1st arrondissement. 
"It might have been Easter, but the gangs were everywhere,' she said. 'One minute the man was making a cash withdrawal, the next he was a crime victim.
'If the police come anywhere near the Roma, they just laugh and then run off. Areas are becoming completely lawless.'

Paris is the most popular tourist destination in the world.

The utterly fearless gang casually try to help themselves to the horrified man's money
Getaway: The Roma pickpockets look for their next victim after targeting the tourist using a cash point near Notre Dame Cathedral, Paris
Charity and human rights groups were furious last week when a leaked police memo called for the 'systematic eviction' of Roma from the centre of the city.

It followed the country's Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, saying that the travelling communities of mainly Romanians and Bulgarians 'cannot integrate' and should be deported. 

A spokesman for Charity group Catholic Help described the note as a 'scandal', saying that it 'stigmatised a poor community' and amounted to 'racial profiling'- something which is illegal in secular France. 

But other Paris officials argued that Roma are behind most of the crime in the city, involving themselves in everything from aggressive begging to muggings and burglaries. 

Gangs of young Roma, including women and children, can regularly be seen harassing tourists.

Many of the Roma beggars who congregate around cash points and banks have very young children with them, including babies. 

Most of them live in large shanty towns on the outskirts of Paris, but more and more are setting up new camps in central parks and squares.  
Jean-Pierre Colombies, spokesman for the SNOP-SCSI police union, said Roma were constantly moving around Paris. 

'It's musical chairs' said Mr Colombies. 'We chase the Roma from one place to another, from one arrondissement to the next.'
Even Stephane Le Foll, spokesman for France's Socialist Government, appeared to back the police, saying that extremely poor communities living rough in Paris made 'everybody extremely nervous'.
Mr Le Foll said: 'We're obliged to regulate all that, to be clear on all that, not to consider that nothing has happened.'

Prime Minister Valls has continued a policy started by former president Nicolas Sarkozy of razing Roma camps, and trying to deport as many of their occupants as possible.

This has led to protests from a number of human rights groups, including Amnesty International, which points out that most Roma in France are Romanian or Bulgarian and as such are EU citizens with the right to live and work in the country.

Culled from UK Daily Mail

55 comments:

Anonymous said...

Wonderful!

Last to comment.

Nwa Aba said...

Sorry for him

Anonymous said...

One more criminal story without Nigerians being the culprits. You see, we're not totally bad.
Signed,
***forst to comment ***

Anonymous said...

Akuko!

Unknown said...

You just cracked the hell off me man! Lmao yea we nt bad at all

shakara said...

Third actually...........

Alloy Chikezie said...

All manners and degrees of crimes everywhere, May God continue to protect us o


Your comment will be visible after approval

La plus belle! said...

Oh right! Hope this can make all those righteous groups see the terror that the Roma has become in Paris. This has been on for a long time and the earlier they do something about it, the better. Soon they might start killing or raping their victims. They are the worst nightmares here. They steal purses, cameras, phones even jackets. Just make the mistake of asking a teenager nearby to help take a picture of you around the tourist sites and your camera or phone is gone.
9ja is far better than Paris now in terms of security.

Unknown said...

Linda hwfa wt d SINzu stuff,has he been arrested?


#############################GOD#####################################################punish###################################################devil##################

Anonymous said...

David Moyes has been sacked!! Hallelujahhhhhh....ALI is back again.........

Debbie Chelsea said...

Eya...i pity d man....

ary said...

Women follow too?

Debbie Chelsea said...

Lmfao

Unknown said...

So bcos they are european citizens they should be giving the go ahead to cause havoc in another man's land ryt..... They should not deport them ok, let them continue neglecting deportation till somebody is killed in the process.... Nansance....
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***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***

Anonymous said...

The same gang stole my fone and was calling my mum to send money via western union to them without knowing that Nigeria doesn't send money out through western union! They are still using the fone with right now with my Lebara sim card I bought that same day...LMAO

Unknown said...

So in a way this is their own boko haram... Mehn i love their own bdat....
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***CURRENTLY IN JUPITER***

Anonymous said...

Romanians are full of trouble anywhere they are. They all thieves and beggers, am not one to generalise but am yet to be proven wrong

Dee Tee said...

for once, Nigerians were not involved. Gud news

Hypertek IshOlawale said...

This is a perfect example of Thomas Hobbes "State of nature" No government ? and the life of man is solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.

Anonymous said...

Too bad

Unknown said...

Lol @ "we are not totally bad"

Anonymous said...

In Europe, the Roma people are worse than Nigerians oh!

Crystal said...

Lol...

mamma mia luv said...

Lol at "we're not totally bad"
The French police is gradually becoming worse than the NPF



####StopTheKilling#####

Anonymous said...

Bad people

Unknown said...

dats a city where lives n properties re valued nt naija dat 100s of pupils re kidnapped wit no trail

Unknown said...

U c its nt only in naija dat we av ATM thieves LOL

MY TURN said...

thank God its not in Nigeria

Anonymous said...

LIBer's got humour like i always say. You got me rolling.... Yea we are not totally bad lol

Anon said...

There is a difference between Roma people and Romanians. Please go and do your research well before you insult an entire country. Roma are Gypsies, and originated from India/surrounding area, where they emigrated to a number of European countries including Romania and Bulgaria.

Anonymous said...

It's not Romanian people as a country! They are "Roma" Its a race or better still an Ethnic group scattered all across Europe with different nationalities but mostly Greek, Romania & Bulgaria! They can be best described as miscreants!!

Anonymous said...

Y u mumu like dis?????....ΨђΦ do u???

Unknown said...

bring them to book ooo...


yes, we not bad

Anonymous said...

With de way things are going in 9ja e go soon happen for dis country

Unknown said...

Nawa oo

APPLE said...

Wao!!!

Anonymous said...

The other side of the EU coin.

Anonymous said...

Daily mail and their anti immigration stance. Anything to fear monger Europe into fascism.

yusuf said...

This time Nigerians not involved. Alhamdulilah

Anonymous said...

Must u comment twice? All na 4 linda ² give u 100k @ d end...e go fly u

Crystal said...

Those time when u just wish d AT machine will say things like "unable to dispense", or transaction denied!
Eeyah

Unknown said...

Not Nigeria this time but oyiboman counrty!

Unknown said...

Not my Naija this time!

@MEETD®EALEVANS™ said...

Finally nigeria nor dey dis one, but they shud do a proper check o, they myt b some half nigerians...

Anonymous said...

Thanks fam.

***forst to comment ***

Anonymous said...

This Roma peeps are really silly miscreants. And it gets worse with the lethargic approach at which the French police tackles criminal cases that involves them. I was shocked to realise that the police dont work on weekends like a normal civil servant when I needed a police report.

Anonymous said...

Linda let me tell u, I am a French citizen...tho by Nigerian folks. But I can tell u that the crime rate in France, esp Paris, is worse than any other country's put together. As a younger lady I remember how my mom would advice that I should always have my hand bag across my neck, with the zipper padlocked if possible. Even at that when u enter the metro, pick pockets will still dig their hands and empty ur bag. Its so bad that they loiter every metro station right from the airport. The airport is even worse. They once picked my uncle's briefcase just as he came out of the arrival hall. While he tried to use the payphone this dude swept over him in a jiffy and his bag was gone. All his monies and travel document where in it. He was sweating and confused. He had to follow the next flight back to naija after obtaining a TC from the Nigerian embassy in Paris. Forget o. They can steal a foetus from its mother's womb in France.

Unknown said...

Person no carry weapon e wan rob me?? At least one or two of those kangaroos ll loose a tooth or 2 b4 they get my money.

Anonymous said...

The joys of the EU, criminals can now cross boarders and boldly perpetuate such acts.... Sad
Btw, great job Linda , first comment on ur blogg albeit an avid reader. Just thought I should pass a comment on the recent change .................noticed loads of typos and grammatical errors in recent times, eg topic of idex article, calls for more proof reading .

Anonymous said...

can't dis children b arrested ? For heaven sake females ar among dem walking with pride....

QueenRita983 said...

Paris is sure the head quarters of thieves. My
First visit there, they stole my phones at the airport on arrival. Not very friendly people too. If have plans to travel there, shine your eyes.

Anonymous said...

Why can't we get surveilance cameras in Naija sef. Is it that expensive?

Unknown said...

Bunch of crminals!

Anonymous said...

ok have never commented on your blog, but it was my first time in Paris last week Wednesday, went to the Eiffel Tower on Thursday, heard about pick pockets in Paris but I was feeling like a Lagos bad girl say nothing they happen.Two Roma girls approached me their first question was "Do you speak English" showed me a charity form to sign for them, I gave them 5 euros and next thing she says it small ,while trying to pick money from my bag one of them was deeping her hands too saying "money plenty" I gave her a nasty look immediately and told her to get her filthy hands out of my bag. I wonder what would have happened if I didn't shakara the girl, was really close to being robbed.

Anonymous said...

Good thing they are not blacks

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