There are gangs of thieves operating in International trains in Netherlands.

Yesterday, a friend of mine from USA was on a train from Antwerp to Den Haag. When the train stopped at Rotterdam, a thief (part of gang) just grabbed a bag from overhead storage and exited the train just before the doors closed. He lost all valuables including the passport.

When my friend reached the police station, there were many more tourist in line to report similar kind of robbery.

Terrible experience, but the Dutch authorities do warn passengers to be careful on trains. The train from Schipol to Amsterdam is particularly bad. I think the way the world is going one must just be extra careful at all times and try and keep one's personal belongings within eyesight all the time. Easy to say after the event I know, but sometimes travellers can be a bit naive about coming to Europe and expecting a low level of crime. The crime is not as dangerous as it is in for example African countries, but thieves here are very sophisticated and quick off the mark, as it were. I hope your friend is not too traumatised and manages to sort out the red tape involved.

Quote:
"The train from Schipol to Amsterdam is particularly bad"

I used to take that journey every day for years going to work and never saw anything, all trains from the inter city, local to the Brussels train there was not once anything, not what I saw anyway.

You are right that there are gangs of thieves and robbers in trains and at airports (Schiphol, Zaventem). Frequently they are East Europeans, Gypsies (Roma), ex Yugoslavians, etc. (I'm sorry but that's what the police officers at Schiphol tell me). There are also Nigerian gangs. They operate roughly between Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. They are helped by the fact that many travelers are backpackers and tired after a transatlantic flight. Some travelers are half asleep and don't even notice that their bag is being taken away at one of the stations.
My advice is to never have any valuables IN your bag but strapped on your body and the same goes for your passport and travel papers. Always put at least ONE FOOT (but preferably 2 feet) ON your bag (I know your co travelers will protest because you don't put your hand luggage overhead)). Do the same while you are registering at your hostel or hotel. During my career as a Guide, I have seen MANY bags and suitcases stolen in the lobby of hotels while their owners were busy registering at the reception desk! I always warn my groups of tourists, but it still happens regularly because people are incredibly naive and thinkl it wont happen to them!

This is really terrible, but unfortunately so common. My partners friend had just come back from Thailand/Bangkok and landed at a German airport, he was on his way to the Netherlands and went to buy a ticket at the station turning his back on his luggage for just a short time. He must have been being watched all the time waiting for the right moment. When he turned back round his luggage had gone. I always have my luggage in my view and never turn my back on it unless it's gripped in my hand. These stories are horrible and there are so many different versions of them. I heard another case (no pun intended) that someone offered to help a lady carry her luggage down the stairs. When she got to the bottom expecting to see the man waiting, he'd gone with her luggage. Never accept an offer to help I guess. How cruel can you get... which might explain why a woman I had offered to help lift her luggage on the top rack of a train rather unpolitely declined. She was a bit stuck up though and looked like she could afford to lose it!
I heard that the Schipol - Sloterdijk bit was quite bad though I've never actually come across anything happening, and don't want to. But there are quite a few security men around now so that's may be why.

They like to scam you on the ICE trains because you are going long distance but there are a couple of local stops before it gets going at high speed so they get on at Schiphol and then get off at Duivendrecht for instance. One duo did the scam in front of my eyes but I didn't realize it until after the group of business men looked up and said their laptops were missing. Meanwhile I had seen it unfold but didn't put it together until afterwards. They look like they are looking for their seats but they are looking to sit near your bags that you put in the overhead rack. Then they decide all of a sudden to look for another seat, get up where your bag is nearby and takeit like it is their bag. Meanwhile, another guy comes down the aisle to distract you, drops something so you look down while his partner is getting up. He wouild also block you if your realize the first guy is taking your stuff.
I noticed the idiot dropping something because it didn't look like it was an accident, just looked like he was stupid.. The japenese busines guy looked like he was going to cry from the theft. it is really traumatic.

Yes, my partners friend stayed at the airport a while quite traumatised by it. He'd bought back presents for people as well, terribly upsetting.
I heard another trick they try to pull was to follow people who were carrying luggage/laptops and other expensive stuff on a trolley, one would step ahead then pretend to drop money (or something else) down accidentally just in front of the trolley while a second man behind would pinch something from the trolley while the person was distracted by the other man who had dropped money or whatever else.
Another is that they try to keep a watch on the buses at the airport that leave their back doors or side doors open after the driver has put peoples luggage inside. While the driver is still waiting for time or for other people he may still leave the door open and walk about a bit giving the bastards time to pinch anything they want. I heard this happen a few times and when the customer got to their destination was bewildered, as was the driver, where their luggage was. So many tricks they pull these thieving bastards! After what should have been an enjoyable holiday!

Schiphol - Lelylaan is supposedly the 'prime' target area - with it's quick escape routes to Sloten, Marcantiplein, Osdorp, etc.. I had a Safa female friend mugged at knifepoint(!) on the train on this 'patch'.

Personally, I've never had any adverse experiences, but that's maybe because I'm the shaved headed, mad blue eyed psycho sitting on the train that looks as though I want to mug THEM!

I did have a kind of 'incident' at a Postbank ATM machine a couple of weeks ago however. I was at the middle of three machines and to my left was a hippy-chick in her late 20's. She turned around and walked full pelt into me, before apologising and stumbling about 2 paces on before I grabbed her. I held her until I established that nothing had been taken from me and that she was just stoned and uncoordinated. But better safe than sorry, as it wasn't just a slight brush against me in passing but a full contact.

A scam I saw on AT5 recently was also staged at a Postbank machine. A woman put her Postbank card in, touched in her PIN number and requested cash. A guy behind her said "You just dropped 10 Euro". She turned around, saw 10 Euro on the pavement, bent down picked it up. She retrieved her card and cash from the ATM and walked off. It was only a couple of days later she found out that whilst retrieving the 10 Euro from the ground, the guy behind her had swapped her Postbank pass for another stolen one. With the pass, and having seen her enter her PIN number, he drained her account.


Personally, I always shroud my hand with my wallet when entering my PIN number and, as my comments above will testify, I am VERY aware if anything unusual arises whilst at an ATM.

Me too... it doesn't pay to trust anyone really. I hate it when some people are too close...

Very interesting turn of events for my friend. After getting a duplicate passport, he happened to call some central information number in Utrecht just before he was about to leave netherlands. They found his original passport exepct his other belongings. It was great news to end his misery.