Subway Pickpockets Arrested, But 2 Are Already Free

Four pickpockets were about to rob a tourist in the crowded central metro of Milan on Tuesday, February 25, when the local police officers, led by commander Gianluca Mirabelli, arrested them red-handed. The local police officers were there patrolling the area, witnessed the scene and intervened. The ones who ended up in handcuffs were four Bosnian women aged 21, 22, 26 and 34. On Wednesday morning, the judge confirmed the arrest, ordering two of them to be banned from residing in the municipality of Milan and prison for the other two. The sentence was accepted amid tears and despair by one of the four defendants.

Here's how pickpockets steal on the subway Pickpockets and attempted theft

According to the reconstruction by the local police, the four women had targeted a tourist originally from Morocco, who was boarding a train at the Central Station stop. There the alleged thieves went into action. One acted as lookout. Another blocked the doors of the train while the other two tripped the victim and robbed her wallet. All under the eyes of the police, who were able to intervene immediately.

Some of them, defended by the lawyer Simone Briatore, have police records. One already had a ban on residing in Milan and another had used a fire extinguisher a few weeks ago to block a convoy. These are the women for whom the judge ordered the precautionary measure of detention in prison. The other two, almost without criminal records, will have to stay away from the city.