2-3 bag-snatchings every day in Sharjah

Sharjah residents have complained about a ‘bag-snatching’ menace on its streets, where bags and purses are being robbed with alarming regularity.

A report in Khaleej Times quoted a senior Sharjah Police officer as saying, “Two to three cases are being reported at various police stations everyday.”

A majority of the thefts have taken place during the day and the officer said the thieves mostly target women.

“One of the culprits snatches the purse while another who would be on a motorcycle would help him flee the spot,” he said.

The police have managed to arrest a number of bag snatchers red-handed and found out that most of them enter the country on visit visas.

Brigadier Mubarak Al Dukhan, Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Sharjah Police, was quoted by the paper as urging people to be careful while shopping for expensive items or withdrawing money from banks.

He said shopkeepers also should not carry large amounts of cash in their bags after they close their outlets.

Police crackdown

The police say they are focusing on bag-snatching cases as part of their crackdown.

“Bag snatching is a new trend. The culprits target those who carry bags and briefcases thinking they may find something precious in them. They also target bank clients after they withdraw cash and leave the bank,” an officer told Khaleej Times.

“The CID officers are now working round the clock to bust gangs involved in bag snatching. Patrolling near banks and shopping centres has been intensified to protect clients and shoppers,” he said.

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