I confronted migrant beggar gang boss – they are organised and dangerous | UK | News

Walking the streets of central London is supposed to be dazzling and fascinating. World-famous shops, luxurious restaurants, magnificent architecture and so much history that it would blow even a scientist’s mind.

But just yards from Oxford Street, that reputation is in tatters. In the shadow of Marble Arch, one of the many jewels in our capital’s dazzling crown, lies a gang of beggars led by a violent criminal. Romanian national Iliuta Gruia had been imprisoned several times in his home country and received a restraining order for using an ax and threatening to kill the entire family, including children.

Gruia, who hails from Botosani in northern Romania, has been on Express’ radar for a long time.

We first met him last year as part of a group camping on nearby exclusive Park Lane.

Express reporters frequently visited the illegal camp, and Gruia often became aggressive and shouty.

During a visit with Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp, he followed the MP around the site to point an imaginary gun at the camera and accuse him of “racism”.

After seemingly being away from London for months, we learned this week that Gruia is back on the streets of the capital, this time setting up base next to Marble Arch.

On Wednesday, I went to the trash-filled area to confront Gruia and get some answers.

My photographer’s and my presence was met with anger.

The group, about a dozen strong, were on some sort of high alert and jumped into action as we approached, phone and microphone in hand.

A woman threw drinks at us as we continued to shout from all sides.

Most of the shouting was in Romanian, but I can safely say there were no words of welcome.

I asked Gruia repeatedly if he ran a beggar gang. It barely hit his eyelid.

He refused to speak except muttering a few words, probably in Romanian.

He remained silent when I asked where he was.

One man repeatedly said “it’s okay” while trying to push us away, while another said “we are normal”.

Tensions reached a flash point when a woman tried to throw her purse at us as we walked away.

In fact, the situation got so heated that a driver pulled over and shared some harsh words with the group, believed to be mostly Eastern European. He too was met with anger.

Maybe the passerby was defending us, or maybe he was tired of this group; Some of these were known to be notorious for thieving and cronyism on Oxford Street.

Some members of the group were seen by the Express urinating in public and drinking vodka, despite an order banning public drinking in the area.

The gang’s numbers are thought to increase during the summer peak tourist season and before the Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park, before returning home with their reinforced casings.

Mr Philp told the Express that Gruia was using the Marble Arch campsite as a base for a “Fagin-style criminal gang” and called for the “violent criminal” to be deported immediately and “not allowed to return”.

He claimed Gruia’s return to the streets of London was proof that Labor “doesn’t care about criminals who endanger the public”.

Police tried to remove the group earlier this week, but some returned within 10 minutes; This is a clear sign of the soft touch that many believe is now present in the UK.

The group’s location in one of London’s most expensive postcodes stands in stark contrast to Marble Arch’s majestic appearance.