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Pickpocket arrested after stealing 1200 phones from commuters
Femi Solomon, from Ogun State was arrested by the Rapid Response Squad of the Nigerian police on Thursday, and about four phones believed to be some of the stolen ones were found in his possession.
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Following the arrest of Femi Solomon, from Ogun State on Thursday, about four phones believed to be some of the stolen ones were found in his possession.
What was even more striking was the confession by the suspect that he had been able to steal about 1200 phones since he joined the pickpocketing gang.
Femi Solomon was quoted to as having told the police that a friend “introduced me to pickpocketing. I noticed he was coming to Obalende finely dressed with so much money.
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“I told him I was looking for better job opportunity, and he assured me that he was going to assist me with one. And, when he was going to introduced me to one, he said I should be following him, while I learn from him.
“I was following from behind and monitoring what he was doing. We were moving from one bus stop to the other from morning till evening. He was stealing phones and wallets from passengers inside buss and at bus stops.
“Throughout the six months I followed him, we could pick 6 to 8 phones and wallets from people without them knowing. He kept everything to himself, but at the end of the day, he would give me between N4,000 to N6,000 depending on his wish.
“On August 2016, I started on my own. My target is between 4 to 5 mobile phones in a day. Once am able to hit that figure, I stop operation and I retire. I sell phones to a friend based in Lagos Island. In my rough estimation, I would have stolen 1200 phones. I operate on Monday, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.”
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Pickpocketing is common in Ghana as well. The perpetrators mostly disguise themselves in crowded places such as markets and bus terminals where commuters compete for commercial vehicles to either get home early from work or get to work early.
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