Abstract

This editorial focuses on traditional types of property crime in the Netherlands and Belgium, such as burglary and theft, and property crimes involving mobile organised crime groups (MOCGs) originating from Eastern and South-Eastern Europe and the Balkan countries. Over the past four decades, a relatively limited number of studies addressed specific types of traditional property crime, but in both countries a body of literature focusing on target selection by residential burglars has been established. Overall, a wide range of perpetrators can be identified, for example individual opportunists; itinerant groups which mostly originate from urban networks who commit property crimes in their areas of residence, but also in other parts of the country and abroad; and foreign mobile organised crime groups. Similar to observations in other countries, traditional property crime also dropped substantially in the Low Countries, although since 2022 figures regarding for instance car theft, theft of vehicle parts, e-bikes, and pickpocketing have started to increase. A solid explanation for both the crime drop and the recent rise in crime levels cannot be provided, although the latter is associated with increased activity of MOCGs, which may now be responsible for a quarter to one-third of traditional property crime. Highly professional MOCGs from Eastern Europe, and Lithuania in particular, focus on burglary, theft of expensive cars and e-bikes, agricultural produce and equipment, and theft of car parts, such as navigation, steering, and airbags. MOCGs originating from South-Eastern Europe and the Balkan countries are often composed of men, women and children and focus for instance on shoplifting, pickpocketing, residential burglary, metal theft and (forced) begging. In both cases, some members, particularly minors but also adults, can be considered victims of criminal exploitation.