From 10th to 14th September, the Metropolitan Command of Lisbon of the PSP, through the 1st Police Division and the Criminal Investigation Department, in the parish of Santa Maria Maior, arrested, whilst caught in the act, five pickpockets, aged between the ages of 21 and 51, as they are suspected of stealing wallets at tourist locations.
The first arrest took place on the 10th, at 2:30 p.m., when the agents of the PSP were patrolling an historic area of Lisbon with the mission of monitoring the movements of a group of pickpockets, realized that a man was leaving quickly the area as he tried to hide a backpack under his coat. As he was acting suspiciously the agents intercepted him, discovering that he had stolen the backpack from a tourist.
On the way back, the tourist was contacted and the backpack was returned with all the documents and content, total value 295 Euros. The suspect was taken to the police station. Criminal Investigation where it was confirmed that he had arrived in Portugal only twodays with the aim of stealing items from tourists.
The second arrest occurred on the 13th, at 3:30 p.m., when the police of the PSP saw a group of three suspected pickpockets following a couple of tourists and while the second was hiding the incident the third pickpocket opened the suitcase of the tourist and stole a small portfolio worth 16.73 Euros, which was passed immediately to the other suspect. They were unable to flee the scene because of the rapid intervention of the agents who arrested them and seized the wallet that was immediately delivered to the victim.
It was later found that the men were already referenced for other similar thefts.