By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, Sept. 29: Police have arrested more than 100 pickpockets from different parts of Kathmandu in the last week.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Ramesh Kumar Basnet of Kathmandu Metropolitan Police Range said that a team deployed from Kathmandu and various circles under the Range had arrested more than 100 pickpockets. 

The drive was initiated ahead of the approaching festival season, said police. Taking advantage of the festival environment, pickpockets to stay in major financial junctions in various forms watching every individual’s move while they do shopping, he said.

“We too have deployed our special team in plain clothes to control their movement based on the available photos of pickpockets in the banking area, shopping and public places where ordinary citizens also do shopping along the roadside,” he said.

According to the police, there are more than 300 pickpockets in Kathmandu including some female ones.

Some of the arrested pickpockets have given statements to the police that their main time for pickpocketing is from 9 am to 5 pm. This is office time. The pressure of people in public transport tends to be high at the office time. That's why pickpockets make time for their target, SP Basnet said.

Many pickpockets get arrested and released after few days paying some fines in absence of specific law to proceed with legal procedure, he said.