Welcome to Bacau …capital of UK cashpoint theft. British police recently revealed that nine out of ten cashpoint thefts in the UK are committed by Romanian gangs, while 70 per cent of those arrested for the crimes either came from Bacau or have links to it. 
Skimming machine … similar to those used in 7,572 thefts between January and April
Romanian gangs are behind 90% of hole-in-the-wall scams
THE city of Bacau used to be known as one of the poorest places in Romania. Workers laboured in factories or on farmland just to earn a pittance.
But now it is booming. Where there were once merely streets and streets of high-rise flats and run-down shacks, there are now gleaming mansions, some even boasting rooftop hot tubs.
Porsches, Range Rovers and BMWs are parked in the drives and a Range Rover Evoque is on display outside the city’s new shopping mall, which is packed with designer boutiques.
On the road into town is a Mercedes dealership.
