Police agency Europol has issued a series of sassy postcards telling criminals on the run that a special welcome is waiting for them back home. The mock-ups promote a "Europe's Most Wanted 2017" summer campaign.
Image: eumostwanted.eu
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Europol's 'Wish you were here' postcards to villains
The EU police agency hopes to track down some of the continent's most wanted criminals by urging wayward wrongdoers to return home. The mock-up postccards are intended to draw attention to a "Europe's Most Wanted" list.
Image: eumostwanted.eu
Mamma mia!
The Italian contribution plays on the country's strong culinary traditions. "Don't you miss the taste of real Italian cuisine?" it asks "Marco." The 37-year-old Marco Lauro is wanted for murder, drug trafficking and robbery.
Image: eumostwanted.eu
Creatures of the night
Romania's postcard drew on the Dracula theme, promising "Gheorghe" a vampire parade on his return. "Come late at night, we will be waiting for you," it advises. Police want to speak to 49-year-old Gheorghe Clapon about theft by deception, money laundering and use of forgery.
Image: eumostwanted.eu
Hot on his heels
The Polish postcard offered a less rosy prospect for Krzysztof. "We have reserved a big room you," it said, also promising him a meeting with a dragon in a cave. The 50-year-old Krzysztof Kus is wanted for assault and robbery and illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
Image: eumostwanted.eu
A serving of fries
Belgium also sought to tantalize the tastebuds of its most wanted villain "Artur." The message extolls the superiority of Belgian fries and urges him to come back to enjoy them once more. Police are seeking 37-year-old Artur Nawrocki over drug trafficking charges.
Image: eumostwanted.eu
Self-assembly justice
Sweden's design was inspired by instruction manuals from home furnishing giant Ikea, with instructions on how to bring about the arrest of "Simon." The 26-year-old Simon Rolf Arnamo is wanted on charges of murder and grievous bodily harm.
Image: eumostwanted.eu
Offline and unreachable
Estonia's piece also had a corporate theme, featuring symbols from the online telephone service Skype. "Ernest" is told to get back in touch after being offline for a while. Police in the Baltic state would like to speak to 32-year-old Ernest Gammer about a charge of grievous bodily harm.
Image: eumostwanted.eu
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The EU-wide policing agency Europol is hoping to track down some of the continent's most wanted criminals with the help of a bold summer campaign imploring villains to return home.
The "friendly" postcard messages are mainly aimed at provoking a feeling of homesickness in individuals who have committed serious crimes in some 21 countries.
Each postcard features one country's most-sought fugitive thought to be hiding in another country. Each appeals to that individual by their first name followed by a "wish you were here" message.
"Dear Artur, Belgian fries are the best and we know you miss them," says the postcard from police in Belgium. "Come back to enjoy them - we'll have a nice surprise in store for you."
Hardest to catch
Full information about each real-life miscreant, including a picture of them, is featured on the Europe's Most Wanted Fugitives website.
"If you click on the website you can see the real picture and name of the criminal as well as a form that goes directly to the team in the country, for instance Belgium or Italy, that would follow it up," Europol spokesman Jan Op Gen Oorth told DW.
"The main goal of Europol is to arrest as many EU fugitives as possible. These are the ones that are hardest to catch, and there's a real need to catch them."
Since the Hague-based policing organization launched the Europe's Most Wanted Fugitives website early in 2016, more than 2.5 million unique visitors have been to the website.
