The Duomo in Milan, Italy, is a favorite tourist attraction and one of the most rampant spots for pickpocketing syndicates.

(AFP)

[Central News Agency] Italian media reported the story of a 29-year-old Milanese pickpocket who had nine children, exposing the prevalence of pregnant robbery groups in Italy.

With the direct flight from Taiwan to Milan and the upcoming direct flight to Rome, the theft cases will gradually increase. The staff of the representative office in Italy listed the 5 most common theft situations. Chinese people must be very careful when traveling in Italy.

The Italian "Corriere Della Sera" (Corriere Della Sera) reported on the 17th, the story of a 29-year-old named Anna (Anna) who had 9 children in Milan.

From her story, we can see why there are so many full-time pickpockets in Italy and the skills of stealing.

Please read on...

Anna said that she started learning stealing skills at the age of 13, earning up to 1,000 euros (about NT$32,533) a day. Although modern people carry very little cash with them, she has patience and steals from early to late 7 days a week. Night.

In terms of where and what to steal, her favorite is to move between the Duomo di Milano and Milan's Centrale metro station, so as not to attract attention.

They like to pick people who are alone or in pairs, especially female tourists.

She would study how many people were around, and observe the faces and movements of those she was stealing from before stealing.

She said she would stand near the ticket vending machines at Milan's central train station and watch where passengers put their wallets, while picking out who she considered the most vulnerable, usually women.

"I would take off my jacket and put it over my arm to cover the hands that were stealing," Ana said.

The reporter asked Anna, who is not pregnant now, would she be afraid of going to jail?

She replied, "With a newborn baby I'm not at risk. The police don't even take me to prison complexes anymore. Before, I even had to go there several times a day, but it always ended up being because I was pregnant or had a newborn baby." mother was released".

This shows the common strange phenomenon of pregnant robber groups.

The decisive factor is that Article 146 of the Italian Criminal Code stipulates that for pregnant women or mothers of young children, judges' judgments can be postponed, so young women often become a link in the criminal chain.

The women plagiarize themselves and the group are convinced that if they are caught in the operation, they will be released.

At the end of October last year, with the direct flight of EVA Air to Milan, the number of Taiwanese tourists to Milan gradually returned to the level before the epidemic, but the number of thefts that followed was also increasing.

According to a diplomat in charge of dealing with related cases at the Italian representative office, he told the Central News Agency that since October last year, there have been about 5 cases of theft (including loss of passports) involving Chinese nationals every month, and even more than 10 cases.

The theft situation is nothing more than that tourists put wallets and mobile phones in loose coat or trouser pockets, or put important documents and money in the outer zipper pocket of the back backpack, on the subway, on the bus or when walking, or people Unknowingly pickpocketed in the process of crowding.

There are also times when strangers come forward at stations, tourist attractions or crowded places, pretending to help with luggage, buying tickets, taking pictures, asking for directions, pretending to be pitiful, begging for money, bumping into bodies deliberately, trying to distract tourists to steal .

Even hotel lobbies have become sites for pickpockets, taking advantage of tourists as they fill out their documents.

Officials said that recently there have been many cases of tourists placing their bags on the ground, on the luggage rack, or in the luggage area between the trains, closing their eyes and resting during the train ride, and finding their luggage or bags missing after waking up or getting off the train. .

There have also been cases where belongings were stolen in rental cars after leaving boutiques, glass windows were smashed, or the rear compartment was pried open, all luggage was emptied, and the loss was huge.

Local diplomatic officials remind tourists to keep a close eye on their luggage or bags at any time, and not let personal finances out of their sight, as long as they are not careful, the finances will disappear.

Also avoid contact with suspicious people, as local pickpockets are often organized.

Important finances (including money and passport) should be carried in the inner pocket of the pocket as much as possible, which will avoid a double blow when the luggage or bag is lost, and the money and passport will also disappear.

Officials reminded that in case of major natural disasters and man-made disasters and other emergency rescue events in Italy, please call the representative office in Italy at +39-366-806-6434 for emergency contact.