Two Roma people from Romania, who were sending their children to steal from foreign tourists visiting the Disneyland Paris amusement park, were sentenced to prison by a French court, reports local Mediafax.

Marian Tinca, 57, got a prison sentence of six years while his former wife Maria Iamandita, 51, is to spend five years in jail. The two were the ones leading the gang.

The other seven members of the gang involved in the vast network of pickpockets operating in the Disneyland Paris area and in the public transport in Paris, namely the four children of Tinca and Iamandita and their partners, were sentenced to two to four years in prison. Moreover, a 38-year-old woman who was linked to the network also got a sentence of four years.

The gang is believed to have stolen around EUR 1 million worth of foreign currency, luxury jewelry or phones from tourists. However, the total damage is not known for sure as many foreign victims have not filed a complaint.

Irina Marica, irina.marica@romania-insider.com