crime in europe

daniel wallace
3:30
nov.5
Their method was simple but ingenious. On some of London's most high-class streets, gangs of Albanian criminals dispatched foot soldiers to saw the heads off of parking meters.

But instead of smashing the meters and taking the money, the thieves took the lock and made a skeleton key that could open hundreds more parking meters in the surrounding area.

Once a key was made, the foot soldiers raided the other meters in the dead of night and gutted them, always leaving several coins inside to avoid arousing suspicion. These heists were so well executed that no one is really sure how many years they had been going on. The crime ring was only discovered after London's police were called to a gunfight over territory between rival gangs last year. According to press reports, one man involved in the fight was jailed for life

Such has been the development of crime in Europe. Not only is it getting smarter and more organized, it is increasingly being carried out across borders. Travel is increasingly easier between European Union countries, particularly after 10 Eastern European states joined the EU in May 2004.