KEITH POOLE, these pics are taken today, just across the river from the Palais de Justice in Paris, where 17 mainly Roma women are currently involved in a trial accused of belonging to a criminal network targeting thousands of tourists, including Britons, in the centre of the French capital.
The court has heard how Mariana Gandac, 25, and Sandra Baciu, 35 both known as the Queen of the Thieves- coordinated pickpocket and mugging gangs that stole hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of cash and property each year.
They are accused of operating around world famous attractions including the Louvre and Orsay museums, and the Eiffel Tower, as well as the Chateau of Versailles, west of Paris.
British holidaymakers, who make up the biggest visitor group to the worlds most popular tourist city, were among their many victims.
The trial has caused shockwaves around France, and is meant to show how the French authorities have clamped down on arrogant Roma gangs who prey on innocent people in broad daylight, night and day.
But as Mail Online’s exclusive pics show, the problem is still rife. The gangs – mainly women ‘guarded’ by burly men watching nearby – can be seen strolling around the city night and day, attacking whoever they want.
This woman was mugged by two girls, who, despite efforts by the women to stop her, calmly walked off with her stolen cash. Police usually don’t bother arresting them – few have passports or any kind of official papers and they live in illegal camps on the edge of the city. So impossible to process.