Pickpocketing Women Caught By Police In Covent Garden
15 August 2019, 14:03 | Updated: 15 August 2019, 14:08
A duo of pickpocketing women, who targeted Londoners and tourists, including a woman with a pram, were caught by plain clothed police officers.
Totka Dimitrova (48) of Haslebury Road, Edmonton, and Sofiya Ivanova (23) of Pentland Close, Edmonton, were each arrested in the Covent Garden area of London on 29 July.
Earlier that day both women were seen by British Transport Police officers on patrol at Covent Garden Underground station.
The officers grew suspicious of the women’s behaviour and began to follow them.
Both women, who are from Bulgaria, entered a shop in the Covent Garden area and began to target unsuspecting customers, attempting to pickpocket items from their bags.
In the space of ten minutes, the duo attempted to steal items from four different customers in the shop. Officers observed this behaviour and arrested them both.
At the Central London Magistrates’ Court on 30 July, Ms Inanova admitted four counts of attempted theft and was handed an 18 week prison sentence.
On the same day, Ms Dimitrova admitted three charges of attempted theft and was also handed a 18-week prison sentence.
They were each ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £122.
Detective Inspector Tim Weekes from British Transport Police, said: “This was a great example of how our plain clothed teams catch offenders and secure custodial prison sentences, often within 24 hours.
“The CCTV footage show just how brazen this pair of pickpockets are. They arrogantly target three customers within the space of ten minutes, even targeting an unsuspecting mother with a pram."
As LBC reported earlier this week, 100 officers a day will target pickpocketing in London this week as part of British Transport Police's Operation Farrier.
Police say this time of year usually experiences a rise in theft on public transport when there are more visitors in London.
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