Clan leader who established child pickpocketing ring in Paris sentenced to prison
A Paris court sentenced clan leader Roberto Hamidovic to eight years in prison for human trafficking and forcing children into pickpocketing.
Roberto Hamidovic, the leader of a clan that ran a child pickpocketing ring targeting tourists in Paris, has been sentenced to eight years in prison and fined 500,000 euros for human trafficking.
Operation and Targets of the Network
Forty-eight-year-old Roberto Hamidovic assigned the group, which included girls as young as 10 years old, to commit pickpocketing at tourist spots such as the Paris Metro and Disneyland Paris.
Daily Earnings and Luxury Lifestyle
The network formed by the children generated an average income of 25,000 euros a day, enabling the family to lead a luxurious lifestyle, while children who failed to bring in the targeted money were subjected to violence.
Court Decisions and Sentences
Despite denying the charges in the trial where seven family members were tried, the court handed down varying prison sentences to the defendants.
While Roberto Hamidovic received eight years in prison and a 500,000 euro fine, his wife was sentenced to six years in prison and a 300,000 euro fine; other family members were sentenced to prison terms ranging from five to seven years.