The gang targeted tourists at attractions such as the British
Museum and the Oxford Street shopping area. One, a woman, would pose as a
tourist and ask a genuine visitor for directions or to take a photo for her.
Other gang members would then approach and pretend to be police officers and
demand details of the tourists' identity and credit cards. The woman would
comply and encourage the genuine tourists to do so as well. The group would
then take the cards and withdraw cash or make expensive purchases. Detectives
said the group was responsible for more than 70 offences while the Japanese
Embassy said it had received more than 100 reports of such thefts or attempted
thefts carried out against Japanese nationals. At Blackfriars Crown Court,
Carmen Banyai, 27, was jailed for 18 months, Stefan Balint, 31, for two years
and Cosmin Negrea, 23, for 15 months after they pleaded guilty to conspiracy to
steal. "Since targeting this criminal network, offences of
this kind have dramatically decreased in the area and I hope this will reassure
tourists visiting London," said Detective Constable David Ross.
