Mashhad police dismantle organized female gang targeting city buses

Police in Mashhad have uncovered an organized gang of women specializing in stealing mobile phones and wallets from passengers on city buses. The group, reportedly led by a veteran elderly woman, utilized a sophisticated tactic of surrounding buses to facilitate the thefts.

Investigations by the Imam Reza Police Station revealed that even when victims immediately noticed the theft, no clues were left behind, and stolen items were not found on suspects inside the vehicles. This led authorities to believe that members of the gang were working in coordination with individuals inside the buses to pass off stolen goods.

The gang's methods were exposed following a theft at Basij Square. A young woman reported her phone stolen after traveling on a BRT bus, initially suspecting an elderly woman nearby. However, other passengers defended the woman, believing she had no phone. Specialized undercover units and motorcycle patrols were deployed to intercept the suspects and recover the stolen property.