LONDON, Jan. 25 (UPI) -- In a 21st-century version of "Oliver Twist," Romanian gangs in the London area are using children as pickpockets, British police say.
This week, police raided 17 homes and businesses in Slough, outside London, making 25 arrests, The Guardian reported. Officers found 10 children allegedly trafficked into Britain, one only a year old.
Investigators also seized credit cards, fake documents and cash.
"We were dealing with a highly organized criminal network, originating in Romania, transferring children into Britain to commit crimes," said police Cmdr. Steve Allen, who heads the Westminster district.
Investigators say that as many as 200 children from Romania have been forced to participate in "Fagin's gangs," resembling the one organized by Fagin in Charles Dickens' "Oliver Twist." The children allegedly are trained in non-violent theft, including pickpocketing.
Much of the crime allegedly takes place in Westminster, targeting tourists and commuters.
The children arrested this week are being treated as "vulnerable victims." Child-welfare authorities in Slough are trying to find relatives in Britain and Romania.
