Romanians in the UK are held responsible for some 8%% of all frauds committed through ATMs and in card ID theft cases, Daily Mail reports in its online edition on Friday. The daily quotes from an investigation report referring to the period since Romania joined the European Union.

The investigation, conducted by the British journalist Rageh Omaar, says that "Romanian fraud gangs were found to be responsible for 85 per cent of cash point crime in the UK and 85 per cent of illegal credit card "skimming". Since January 1, they have had free access to the UK as a result of EU expansion.".

The journalist claims that the gangs of foreign criminals expand their activities towards rural areas, where they try to make profit from drugs and human trafficking.

"The gangs include Jamaican Yardies selling crack in Hereford, Albanians running prostitution rings in Hampshire and vicious Chinese Snakeheads smuggling cockle pickers into Britain to work in Morecambe. (...)

t is estimated that in excess of 20,000 Chinese find their way illegally into the UK each year. The cheap labor is imported by Triad and Snakehead gangs, who are also heavily involved in extortion and gambling.

Chinese citizens, who pay up to £20,000 to be smuggled into the country, are sold to gangmasters to pick cockles or fruit, or made to work to pay-off debts.", the article reads.