Octoberfest: Pickpockets – Prague policemen came to the rescue
Munich Beer Festival Octoberfest are the largest events of their kind. The several-day event is visited by tens of thousands, if not more, on average 100 thousand visitors per day. Not everyone is honest and comes to the event to get their fill of drunken mocha. It is also a welcome opportunity for thieves, snatchers and grabbers who rob the unsuspecting, and sometimes a little drunk visitors.
“In order for German police officers to eliminate these risks, they requested reinforcements from a number of Prague criminal investigators, who specialize in pickpockets,” explains police spokesman Richard Hrdina. That is why a pair of colleagues from Prague visited Germany. “During the event they caught several pickpockets in the act“, the Hero highlights their merits.
A successful duo
For example, they managed to discover a matched couple – a man and a woman from abroad. They had a rather complicated but effective plan for robbing visitors. “While the man patrolled the area, the woman hugged inebriated visitors while searching their pockets“, the spokesperson describes. If it weren’t for the Czechs, who knows how much he would have managed to steal. This is how they ended up with handcuffs. “Both sides appreciate this international cooperation and will continue to do so.”
Pocket shop in Prague
Not to be – the police have long-term experience with pickpockets in Prague too, where a considerable number of pickpockets and pickpockets move through the tourist peak in the center. However, the work of police officers is bearing fruit. The number of pickpocketing is gradually decreasing. Which may also be due to the coronavirus pandemic, which dampened tourism in Prague.
“For comparison, in 2019, 2,563 pickpocketings were recorded from the beginning of the year to the end of September, while “only” 1,119 were recorded during the same period in 2022. This means a drop of fifty-seven percent“, states the Hero. “Even if it is almost impossible to clarify such cases in a crowd of people, this year criminal investigators have already arrested 230 criminals, and at the same time they have also tracked down eighteen people in a nationwide search.”
Prague police officers helped out at the German Octoberfest. They caught several pickpockets. Police of the Czech Republic
Another year of the popular Oktoberfest beer festival is taking place in Munich. Up to six million visitors are expected (September 21, 2019)
Author: Reuters