Gardai confirm organised begging

Kivaro

Finally we have a newspaper stating what many had known from previous experience. Quote from today's Examiner:
"People have flown in from Romania to take part in organised begging in Cork City, a senior garda has confirmed."

According to the Gardai, some of those involved in the organised begging had arrived in Ireland through Cork or Dublin airports, and then expanded out to other Irish cities.

While this act is despicable in itself, it also skews the stats of homelessness in Ireland. Those who are flown in to beg also are believed to have availed of the services of homeless charities, including Cork Simon, while begging before moving on to other cities.

We are inundated on a daily basis of television footage and pictures of people sleeping in doorways and tents and no doubt there are people sleeping on the streets who can be genuinely classified as homeless, but when you read the quote below from the Examiner it is fair to ask if the problem is exaggerated:

Members of the Cork Business Association said it was clear people were coming prepared to bed down overnight in the doorways of shops on the city’s main shopping street to ensure they occupied prime begging locations the next morning.

BillyBobBS

Pathetic attempt to deflect from the massive and very much real homelessness crisis that FG have created.

3/10

corner of hells

Kivaro wrote: »

Finally we have a newspaper stating what many had known from previous experience. Quote from today's Examiner:
"People have flown in from Romania to take part in organised begging in Cork City, a senior garda has confirmed."

According to the Gardai, some of those involved in the organised begging had arrived in Ireland through Cork or Dublin airports, and then expanded out to other Irish cities.

While this act is despicable in itself, it also skews the stats of homelessness in Ireland. Those who are flown in to beg also are believed to have availed of the services of homeless charities, including Cork Simon, while begging before moving on to other cities.

We are inundated on a daily basis of television footage and pictures of people sleeping in doorways and tents and no doubt there are people sleeping on the streets who can be genuinely classified as homeless, but when you read the quote below from the Examiner it is fair to ask if the problem is exaggerated:

Members of the Cork Business Association said it was clear people were coming prepared to bed down overnight in the doorways of shops on the city’s main shopping street to ensure they occupied prime begging locations the next morning.

It doesn't really skew the stats on homelessness unless they register with the state as homeless.

hawkelady

BillyBobBS wrote: »

Pathetic attempt to deflect from the massive and very much real homelessness crisis that FG have created.

3/10

Are you saying the senior Garda is lying ?? If you're not, then it's not deflecting from the "crisis" , is it?? Take your ire to the numerous other threads related to it

enricoh

Beg during the day, free hot meals and get inundated with bags of food, cosmetics and clothes from various different charities during the night. Maybe throw in a staged car crash on the way home to airport for the 15k whiplash.

I'd say begging here is slightly more lucrative than back home!

Bob Harris

Hardly news. The church are at it for years. Can't go to mass without being expected to throw a few quid into the basket.

SEPT 23 1989

Just another crime gang fronting as an ethnic group

BillyBobBS

BillyBobBS wrote: »

Pathetic attempt to deflect from the massive and very much real homelessness crisis that FG have created.

3/10

I'll give you 10/10 for spewing shite.

homerjay2005

BillyBobBS wrote: »

Pathetic attempt to deflect from the massive and very much real homelessness crisis that FG have created.

3/10

Whats this got to do with FG?

would you not think its down to a spike in population, a rise in economic over dependancy on places like Dublin and Cork and above all else, a lack of adequate personal responsibilities from a small minority of our population?

Victor

Kivaro wrote: »

Finally

You may be a bit slow on the uptake.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/roma-cash-seized-as-six-held-in-begging-crackdown-26783756.html

https://www.herald.ie/news/roma-begging-gangs-broken-up-27992042.html

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/gardai-arrest-15-suspected-of-organised-begging-in-cork-815290.html

splinter65

Bob Harris wrote: »

Hardly news. The church are at it for years. Can't go to mass without being expected to throw a few quid into the basket.

It never ceases to amaze me how RCC obsessed boardsies will scan the live threads ceaselessly searching for an opportunity to post in a manner which they imagine makes them appear edgy and dangerous but in actual fact reeks of desperation.
Go on poster. Tell us how begging gangs are bad, but not as bad as the RCC.

Kermit.de.frog

BillyBobBS wrote: »

Pathetic attempt to deflect from the massive and very much real homelessness crisis that FG have created.

3/10

Eh, I think you'll find the roots of this problem are from the crash in 2008 overseen by Fianna Fail.

Some people have memories like goldfish.

anewme

From one of the Independent articles Victor above quoted.

Heading up the probe, Inspector Patrick McMenamin of Pearse Street garda station said that in one case a "barefoot beggar", well known in the Grafton Street area, was stopped en route to his native country with €1,800 in €50 notes.
"So while he may look pretty sad in Grafton Street, I can assure you that he is manipulating the people that are giving him the money," he said.

"It is known to ourselves that people will actually go in and buy him runners. He has more runners I think than the Footlocker (shop) at this stage."

Made me laugh so much. More runners than Footlocker.

Bloody scam artists,give them nothing. Are most people not copped them at this stage. Everyone I know dreads them

Ralf and Florian

It's blindingly obvious. I've seen a huge increase in Roma beggars around Cork City centre over the last couple of months.

c_man

Bob Harris wrote: »

Hardly news. The church are at it for years. Can't go to mass without being expected to throw a few quid into the basket.

There's no collection six days out of seven. And you're not obliged to give anything. And my local church back home announced last Christmas that they're no longer passing the plate due to getting a very generous donation.

But yeah, good man yourself.

mad muffin

There were Roma beggars outside our church last Sunday. I did a double take when I walked past. Mind you this is in a small midlands town.

whisky_galore

If people stopped throwing money at these people, the problem of organised begging would end in the morning.

King George VI

They've been in Dublin for years, why is this only being confirmed now? Remember that story of a man seeing a Romanian woman begging on O'Connell Bridge with a baby one morning? Then the next day he saw her with a different baby and when he confronted her about it, she started screaming and then her "pimp/boss/whatever" turned up in a van, started spewing abuse at the guy and took her away in a van. Not sure if that's a real story or an urban legend (someone can correct this for me if needed) but I heard it years ago. Apparently a lot of these gangs live in cramped houses in Rathmines.

Why are they only looking into this now?

anewme

Good point. Who is giving them money. Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave for the past 10 years, you’d know these are scammers. I dint know One person who’d give them a cent.

testtech05

There was a similar case in courts in Galway a few weeks back where the "beggars" had traveled down from Dublin for a day or 2 of business, seems to be fairly widespread in the bigger towns.

punisher5112

Since Romania entered the EU they flooded here and the UK.

Irish are extremely gullible and believe in a lot of cases they can save the world.


These scum that pretend to be homeless and begging are disgusting.

One thing a lot of you may not be aware of in the last few years there are more and more now have free travel as they are given psc free travel cards.

They use public transport to span out and even beg on peoples door steps.

Remember the real bad winter 2010 they were all over the city with babies out in unbelievable freezing conditions.


They are extremely aggressive in a lot of cases and very abusive.

Anyone remember the guy with crutches that couldn't walk without dragging his knee knocking on car windows he would then go around the corner and walk normal and jump into a Mercedes.

Buses pull into Parnell square in Dublin usually towing a Romania registered car and tons of them disembark.

Teyla Emmagan

I never give the Roma a penny I must say.

But obviously someone does.

Sleeper12

I could have confirmed that years ago.

They get homeless people a bad name. Very few homeless people beg in Dublin. It's mostly professional begging teams

punisher5112

anewme wrote: »

Good point. Who is giving them money. Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave for the past 10 years, you’d know these are scammers. I dint know One person who’d give them a cent.

I see people giving them money a lot and they are extremely pushy especially to the elderly and are extremely good at pick pocketing and slashing bags to rob contents.

The big skirts work well in shops as the have hooks underneath to hold goods.

Don Kiddick

BillyBobBS wrote: »

Pathetic attempt to deflect from the massive and very much real homelessness crisis that FG have created.

3/10

FG aren't in power in Romania

LirW

In other countries it's pretty well documented how they operate. It's often young Romani women that have children at home that get attracted by these gangs. They are sent around in Europe, touring major cities and while the beggars get quite little of it, just as much to keep the family alive, the bosses running it are apparently making decent enough money. It goes hand in hand with human trafficking, where young girls are loaded off into the western sex industry.
They are incredibly well organized.

In my home country they usually wouldn't beg over the winter months, way too cold, but in one year suddenly a lot of crippled beggars appeared, they were begging at big traffic junctions, using walking aids.
It then came out that some families deliberately cripple their kids by tying their feet together because they'd get more money.
There are pretty strict beggar laws in place now.
It's disgusting.

punisher5112

King George VI wrote: »

They've been in Dublin for years, why is this only being confirmed now? Remember that story of a man seeing a Romanian woman begging on O'Connell Bridge with a baby one morning? Then the next day he saw her with a different baby and when he confronted her about it, she started screaming and then her "pimp/boss/whatever" turned up in a van, started spewing abuse at the guy and took her away in a van. Not sure if that's a real story or an urban legend (someone can correct this for me if needed) but I heard it years ago. Apparently a lot of these gangs live in cramped houses in Rathmines.

Why are they only looking into this now?

I would well believe it.

In the city the men hang around in groups and usually receive a text and branch off where the meet with one of the girls and an exchange takes place and they depart and the man usually returns to the group.

Don Kiddick

Don Kiddick wrote: »

FG aren't in power in Romania

Not sure what Romania has to do with it.

But this has been common knowledge; they've been followed and have been seen getting in and out of vans where they get dropped off.

anewme

punisher5112 wrote: »

anewme wrote: »

Good point. Who is giving them money. Unless you’ve been hiding in a cave for the past 10 years, you’d know these are scammers. I dint know One person who’d give them a cent.

The big skirts work well in shops as the have hooks underneath to hold goods.

Once saw one coming out of Dunnes having robbed a cooked chicken under the big skirt. The steam was billiwung out from under the skirt and the security man was chasing her down the mall

Beta Ray Bill

BillyBobBS wrote: »

Pathetic attempt to deflect from the massive and very much real homelessness crisis that FG have created.

3/10

There is no homeless crisis.

There are 3 kinds of homeless people
1: Young women in their 20's with kids and the father "isn't around"
2: People with serious drink/drug problems
3: People who have genuinely lost everything through a series of bad events <= These are the vast minority

There is no helping 1 and 2, and they are the vast majority.
They're just a bunch of people looking for free stuff off the Taxpayer

Back on Topic:

Clearly this is VERY lucrative, The Judge should have put them all in Prison for 6 months. Hopefully they wouldn't come back after that.
But instead the message is "Even if you're caught, all you'll get is a warning"

Pathetic, we need more Prisons.

TheQuietFella

Deleted User wrote: »

Not sure what Romania has to do with it.

But this has been common knowledge; they've been followed and have been seen getting in and out of vans where they get dropped off.

Group living in Phibs' regularly begging in the city centre!

Fred Swanson

This post has been deleted.

Fred Swanson

Fred Swanson wrote: »

Roma ≠ Romanians

Many forget this minor issue.

Exactly. Roma Gypsies can come from practically anywhere.

Beta Ray Bill

Deleted User wrote: »

Not sure what Romania has to do with it.

But this has been common knowledge; they've been followed and have been seen getting in and out of vans where they get dropped off.

I worked with a guys years ago, he told me he was Italian but I later found out he was from Romania.
When I asked him why he said he was Italian, he explained that he felt that he'd be thought of the same way as Romanian Gypsy's if people knew he was from Romania.

How awful is that?

punisher5112

Fred Swanson wrote: »

Roma ≠ Romanians

Many forget this minor issue.

Very true but Romania has/had a huge number residing.

HONKEY TONK

BillyBobBS wrote: »

Pathetic attempt to deflect from the massive and very much real homelessness crisis that FG have created.

3/10

What a load of Bollox

Bob Harris

splinter65 wrote: »

It never ceases to amaze me how RCC obsessed boardsies will scan the live threads ceaselessly searching for an opportunity to post in a manner which they imagine makes them appear edgy and dangerous but in actual fact reeks of desperation.
Go on poster. Tell us how begging gangs are bad, but not as bad as the RCC.

It is equally amazing how many will be offended by a little bit of a joke in AH. Now...where is my boot polish so I can go blackface for the day.

c_man wrote: »

There's no collection six days out of seven. And you're not obliged to give anything. And my local church back home announced last Christmas that they're no longer passing the plate due to getting a very generous donation.

But yeah, good man yourself.

Lucky you....free mass!

Tilikum17

They’re all over the place in Galway too. Each one of them with a little puppy to make you feel sorry for them.

Dogs should be taken off them.

Beta Ray Bill

Tilikum17 wrote: »

They’re all over the place in Galway too. Each one of them with a little puppy to make you feel sorry for them.

Dogs should be taken off them.

Very common in Brussels too.

But then there's the other side of it:
http://www.thejournal.ie/homeless-rabbit-dogs-pictures-3678851-Nov2017/

Yeah it's the journal but you get my point...
Clearly he's a good guy in his heart.
He is homeless since he was 17.

Despite all the jobs offered, accommodation offered, etc as a result of the above story in 2011, this guy is still homeless... If you need to ask why, then you need to read between the lines.

Tricky situation, you cannot just take animals off people.
Once the animals is cared for (Fed/Watered/chipped and in good health) that's all the law requires.

topper75

punisher5112 wrote: »

Irish are extremely gullible and believe in a lot of cases they can save the world.

Nub of the problem right there. A lot of Irish media commentators actually encourage this viewpoint.

grahambo wrote: »

I worked with a guys years ago, he told me he was Italian but I later found out he was from Romania.
When I asked him why he said he was Italian, he explained that he felt that he'd be thought of the same way as Romanian Gypsy's if people knew he was from Romania.

How awful is that?

Handful of regular Romanians I met were A1. Should be no shame.

I can see his angle though. I was in a shop in London about to approach the counter. Some Pavee were knocking everything over and the chap at the counter got on the phone to the police, calling them 'irish'. To my shame I changed over to an English accent when buying the item. And the cock crew in the background. Awful indeed.

Chrongen

BillyBobBS wrote: »

Pathetic attempt to deflect from the massive and very much real homelessness crisis that FG have created.

3/10

Abyssmal attempt at shoe-horning your own political delusion into the debate. Similar to your amateurish attempts at blaming North Korean nuclear proliferation on Obama while conveniently ignoring the fact that NK stuck to the letter of the 1994 Framework Agreement while Clinton and Bush Junior wiped their arses with it.

1/10

Don Kiddick

grahambo wrote: »

Very common in Brussels too.

But then there's the other side of it:
http://www.thejournal.ie/homeless-rabbit-dogs-pictures-3678851-Nov2017/

Yeah it's the journal but you get my point...
Clearly he's a good guy in his heart.
He is homeless since he was 17.

Despite all the jobs offered, accommodation offered, etc as a result of the above story in 2011, this guy is still homeless... If you need to ask why, then you need to read between the lines.

Tricky situation, you cannot just take animals off people.
Once the animals is cared for (Fed/Watered/chipped and in good health) that's all the law requires.

I noticed that in Brussels too after the attack, very very noticeable and very organised

Beta Ray Bill

Don Kiddick wrote: »

I noticed that in Brussels too after the attack, very very noticeable and very organised

Has been going on since WAY before the attack.
Beggers with the most beautiful dogs.
When I first saw it, I found it very strange.

Chrongen

testtech05 wrote: »

There was a similar case in courts in Galway a few weeks back where the "beggars" had traveled down from Dublin for a day or 2 of business, seems to be fairly widespread in the bigger towns.

You'll see them on Shop Street on Fiday and Saturday nights. I started filming them one time and they got very agitated, covering their faces, giving the finger etc.

murphthesmurf

I thought this was common knowledge. There was a documentary and various news articles about Romanian begging gangs years ago. The documentary filmers found where they lived in Romania, they had huge houses and lived wealthy lives. They use women with babys in pushchairs too, the baby was given a little 'tipple' to keep it quiet.
I was getting out of my car once on a car park, a gypsy looking woman got out of a car opposite me. She walked down to the front of the car park and sat down with her begging cup. The car she got out of was better than the one I had at the time.

Chrongen

punisher5112 wrote: »

Very true but Romania has/had a huge number residing.

And?

chrissb8

Where I live it's so painfully obvious. Not there for the whole week then the w.e. comes around and the romanian beggars sitting up against some doorways and along the beach. And people giving them money!! How thick can you be. Then I see them at the dart station with their sleeping bags all folded up out of character looking healthy and happy. Going back to Dublin to do some more begging or laugh at our gullible ways.

Mc Love

BillyBobBS wrote: »

Pathetic attempt to deflect from the massive and very much real homelessness crisis that FG have created.

3/10

Haha that FG created? It's FF that got us into the mess, lot harder to clean it up. But blaming parties is too easy, a lot of people should be blaming themselves, overspending like there was no tomorrow in the naughties. A lot of people have nobody to blame but themselves.

quintana76

BillyBobBS wrote: »

Pathetic attempt to deflect from the massive and very much real homelessness crisis that FG have created.

3/10

Would you ever grow up and learn that other people don't easily buy your own deflection bull****. So the Guards are working in collusion with the Gov to cover up homelessness? (By pointing out organised begging) if you believe that you must not have much experience of how things work around here. Or alternatively you actually care as much about the homeless as ISIS care about equality. It is clear that you are using homelessness to make cheap political points. Just throw it in under any topic that arises because you think the Government are vulnerable on it. A bit obvious that and ineffective

BillyBobBS

Mc Love wrote: »

Haha that FG created? It's FF that got us into the mess, lot harder to clean it up. But blaming parties is too easy, a lot of people should be blaming themselves, overspending like there was no tomorrow in the naughties. A lot of people have nobody to blame but themselves.

FG have been in government for years. They have failed simple as that. Time for change.

Beta Ray Bill

BillyBobBS wrote: »

FG have been in government for years. They have failed simple as that. Time for change.

To who!?

They are all equally sh*t! :pac: