Baghdad police bust pickpocket gang targeting public buses in Mansour

BAGHDAD, Iraq — Police in Baghdad's Karkh district said they have arrested a gang that stole personal belongings from passengers boarding public buses in the Mansour neighborhood. The Karkh Police Command said the operation was carried out by the Mansour Anti-Crime Unit of the Karkh Anti-Crime Directorate, targeting a group that preyed on passengers as they boarded KIA-brand buses. According to the command, gang members would deliberately block a victim's path while boarding the bus and cut across their route during disembarkation, while an accomplice stole the passenger's personal items. Investigators acted on intelligence about the gang's method and conducted technical surveillance and field work before setting up an ambush. The suspects were caught in the act after being tracked, the statement said. Legal proceedings have been initiated and the detained individuals have been referred to the judiciary, according to the Karkh Police Command.