Pickpocket gangs prey on London women in £13m crime wave

A police reconstruction of a pickpocket at work on the Tube
BTP
Justin Davenport14 December 2015
WEST END FINAL

Get our award-winning daily news email featuring exclusive stories, opinion and expert analysis

I would like to be emailed about offers, event and updates from Evening Standard. Read our privacy notice.

Pickpockets and thieves stole a massive £13 million worth of valuables in London in the past year, it emerged today.

The Met police figures reveal that young women are the most vulnerable to personal theft — with nearly 11,000 reporting they had items stolen, compared with 5,820 men. Mobile phones are by far the most valuable haul — £8 million worth were taken.

Latest police data show snatches in the capital rose by more than nine per cent in the past 12 months, and an alert has been issued over pickpockets targeting Londoners over the festive period.

Westminster police have launched a Christmas blitz on thieves codenamed Operation Blizzard.

In total, there were 34,061 cases of theft in London in the 12 months to the end of September, according to figures obtained via a Freedom of Information request to the Met. The highest number was in Westminster — 6,172 — followed by Islington on 3,847 and Camden on 3,311. Boroughs with the fewest thefts were Sutton, Bexley and Richmond.

Thieves' tactics

Pickpockets employ a variety of deceitful tactics to fleece victims without alerting them or bystanders. 

The hugger-mugger Particularly used on drunks, the thief appears to befriend their victim or offer help. They initiate body contact, often jostling or “hugging” the target to conceal their intentions. 

The diversion The target’s attention is distracted, such as by dropping an item which the helpful victim stoops to pick up. Another ploy is spraying a substance on someone then offering to remove it. 

The concealed hand Thieves hide their hand under a newspaper, coat or other item while they either “hoover up” valuables left on tables, or dip into a victim’s bag.

The stall Common on the Tube, one thief obstructs victims as they pass the ticket barrier or walk down corridors, while a second picks pockets. 

The shoulder surfer Gangs come close to people using bank machines, memorise the PIN keyed in, and keep a victim in sight until an opportunity arises to steal their cards.

After phones, cash was the next most lucrative target of thieves — more than £1.8 million was taken — followed by watches (£667,967), wallets and purses (nearly £400,000), laptops (£212,789) and cameras and photo equipment (£120,339).

Women aged 15 to 29 were the most vulnerable to theft, with 10,773 cases recorded — double the amount of men in the same age bracket.

Women in general were also more likely to be victims — reporting a total of 20,794 cases — compared with 13,458 cases reported by men of all ages.

A recent court case heard how two sisters headed a pickpocket gang from South America who came to the UK to steal from the elderly “as a way of life”.

Argentinians Maria Gallardo, 43, and sister Lucrecia 46, plus Chileans Luis Salazar Bravo, 29, and Alfredo Lopez Rojas, 27, stole from women on buses in Westminster and preyed on victims at the London Eye. They were jailed at Blackfriars crown court last month.

A Met spokesman said Operation Blizzard “involves high-visibility policing and plainclothes officers targeting individuals who may try and use the festive season as an opportunity to commit offences such as pickpocketing. It will run into the new year.

“We urge Londoners to stay alert and look out for common tactics used by pickpockets and thieves.

“People can take a few simple measures to prevent this type of crime: make sure bags are fastened, be aware of your surroundings especially when using a phone in public, and plan journeys home in advance using black cabs or pre-booked mini-cabs.”

The Freedom of Information request was made by insurance company Policy Expert. Head of operations Adam Powell said: “It’s easy to get distracted by the festivities as the streets and public transport get busier over the Christmas period.

“Keep an eye on your shopping, bags and any other valuables and be vigilant around other pedestrians.”

Entertainer and sleight-of-hand artist James Freedman, the self-styled “Man of Steal” who advises the Met on how to tackle theft, said: “Common sense and distance are your best defences, so stay vigilant for distraction techniques and be aware of anyone getting too close.

“Being under the influence will affect anyone’s awareness so if you’re planning a heavy night out and don’t need all your cards, cash or other valuables, leave them at home.”

Create a FREE account to continue reading

eros

Registration is a free and easy way to support our journalism.

Join our community where you can: comment on stories; sign up to newsletters; enter competitions and access content on our app.

Your email address

Must be at least 6 characters, include an upper and lower case character and a number

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account

* Required fields

Already have an account? SIGN IN

By clicking Create Account you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use , Cookie policy and Privacy policy .

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged in