Latest news with #pickpocketing
CTV News
4 days ago
- General
- CTV News
N.S. RCMP looking for debit card scammers in Antigonish, Port Hawkesbury
Nova Scotia RCMP is looking for two alleged debit card scammers. (Source: RCMP) Nova Scotia RCMP is looking for two people allegedly involved a pickpocketing and debit card scam at Port Hawkesbury and Antigonish area grocery stores and retailers. Police say the scammers watch a victim enter their debit card PIN while they complete a transaction, and then pickpocket them when they're leaving the store or getting into their vehicle. Police recommend people shield the keypad while entering their PINs, never accept help from a stranger when using an ATM and regularly check their bank account statements. Anyone with information on the scam is asked to call police at 902-863-6500, or anonymously contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or at For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
The Sun
29-05-2025
- General
- The Sun
Majorca police arrest nearly 50 pickpockets in one month and draft in reinforcements ahead of summer crime wave
NEARLY 50 pickpockets and petty thieves targeting tourist victims have been arrested in the past month by police in Majorca. The pickpocketing spree has prompted cops to draft in early reinforcements to tackle an expected summer crime wave. 3 3 3 National Police on the holiday island announced on Monday they had brought forward 'Operation Summer' by bringing in extra officers from the mainland. These officers specialise in 'prevent and rapid response' crimefighting to work along town hall-employed local police. A spokesman for the force in Majorca said: 'They will serve on the island for a month as a prelude to the incorporation of other units who will work in the municipality of Palma ahead of the arrival of reinforcements in Manacor in Majorca, Ibiza and Menorca.' Overnight detectives in Majorca revealed the first arrest figures linked to the 'Operation Summer' advance. A National Police spokesman said: 'So far 19 people have been arrested in Palma's Playa de Palma coastal area, most pickpockets and petty thieves acting at night-time. 'And in Palma's urban area itself 30 people have been arrested who are also mostly pickpockets.' Detailing the latest arrests this week, the spokesman added: 'On Tuesday police in Playa de Palma arrested three men, two Romanians and a Moroccan, on suspicion of theft, fraud and misappropriation.. 'One of them turned out to be wanted for drug trafficking. 'They are members of a criminal gang specialising in targeting tourists holidaying on the Majorcan coast. 'They acted on a task-sharing basis, taking belongings from holidaymakers including wallets and purses with ID documents and bank cards they then used for purchases in different shops or to take out money from cash machines. 'When they were arrested officers seized a rental car they had not returned to the hire car firm which they are suspected of intending to keep. '€1,200 in cash was also confiscated from them along with two mobiles phones worth more than £850 each, documents and other high-end stolen items like designer sunglasses. 'All the items recovered had been reported stolen and have been returned to their rightful owners. 'In the early hours of Tuesday morning police arrested two minors in Playa de Palma they had spotted crawling across the sand to to take the belongings of some tourists who were in the sea. 'They were intercepted and the stolen items recovered. 'The detainees reacted aggressively when they were being arrested by kicking and punching the officers. 'On Tuesday afternoon around 3.30pm near Palma Cathedral two pickpockets were intercepted by police as they pinched a purse from a holidaymaker's bag. 'The officers were able to return the stolen purse, which had 1,500 US dollars and other valuables inside, to the victim on the spot.' One police insider said today after the figures were released: 'The criminals we are tackling with Operation Summer have their sights set on tourists who tend to be more distracted and carry large amounts of cash with them. 'Many of the offenders are being caught red-handed by undercover cops disguised as holidaymakers themselves so they can blend in better.' Although Playa de Palma east of the Majorcan capital is more popular with German and Dutch tourists than British visitors to the island, Brits are among the top victims in Palma centre. The pickpocket and petty theft figures released by National Police earlier this week are separate to those of another national Spanish police force, the Civil Guard, who are responsible for areas like Magaluf. The Civil Guard also brings in reinforcements every summer in Majorca to cope with the influx of criminals who base themselves on the island during peak season to take advantage of the fact there are more people to target than in winter. It comes following a similar warning to tourists visiting the popular spot Benidorm over the summer. Spanish cops have urged Brit holidaymakers to take care after footage surfaced showing tourists being targeted on "muggers alley". The Policia Nacional told The Spanish Eye it has had multiple reports from victims and has "intervened and arrested the perpetrators several times." It added: "As a preventative measure, continuous patrols are carried out in this area, as well as throughout the rest of the town, to prevent the commission of this crime."
Telegraph
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
The ‘career criminal' accused of stealing Kristi Noem's handbag
A Gucci shoulder bag worth thousands, left under a woman's seat in a burger restaurant, probably looked like an easy target. After spotting the bag, a thief in a Covid mask and dark cap hooked his foot through the strap, tugged it over to his table and swiftly exited the building before heading out onto the evening streets of Washington, DC, prosecutors say. It seems to have been sheer bad luck for the man, whom authorities claim is Mario Bustamante Leiva, that the bag belonged to Kristi Noem, the US homeland security secretary and one of the most powerful figures in Donald Trump's government. Court documents claim the theft of Ms Noem's bag was just one incident in a one-man crime spree, alleging the suspect committed three separate robberies in just over a week in the city. Mr Leiva, a Chilean national whom police said has admitted to stealing Ms Noem's bag after being arrested last month, reportedly honed his pickpocketing skills on the streets of London more than a decade ago. The 49-year-old, who was branded a 'career criminal' by Ms Noem, and whom the department of homeland security (DHS) says is in the US illegally, was previously handed a prison sentence for a series of thefts in Britain. In the space of five months, he reportedly stole £21,000 ($27,800) of phones, wallets and computers in bars and cafes in high-end areas of London, the Daily Mail reported. When Mr Leiva was finally arrested in December 2014 entering a pub north of London Bridge, he was said to have been listening to a stolen iPod. Mr Leiva, a father of three with no fixed address, reportedly admitted to 22 charges of theft, and was sentenced to three years in prison by a judge who branded him 'dishonest to his fingertips', according to the Daily Mail. It is unclear how long Mr Leiva spent in prison. He is reported to have entered the US legally in 2021 under Joe Biden, before breaching the terms of his admission. Chile is the only South American state that belongs to the US's visa waiver programme, which allows citizens to enter for 90 days – although it is unclear if Mr Leiva made use of this. The New York Post reports he belonged to a large 'robbery organisation' operating on the East Coast, although this is not mentioned in court documents. Authorities place him in Washington, DC, on April 12 this year, where he is said to have removed a woman's purse from the back of her chair while she was eating in a Nando's restaurant, using his jacket to conceal it on his way out. He allegedly acted alongside a second individual who blocked the theft from view. The pair then apparently went to a Safeway supermarket, where Mr Leiva's alleged accomplice is said to have bought a £377 ($500) gift card using the woman's credit card. Five days later, Mr Leiva had re-appeared at DC's downtown Westin Hotel, where he allegedly walked in with a coat hanging over his left arm, brushing past the chair where a woman was eating with her family – and swiping her purse in the process. On his way there, at the Dolcezza coffee shop a block away, he appears to have removed an object – the size of a wallet or purse, investigators said – from a tan shoulder bag. He is then said to have returned to the Safeway and made two purchases: a £9 ($12) bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, and ten minutes later, a £300 ($400) gift card. On April 19 he appeared in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he called the police and reported that he had been sleeping on a bench when he was robbed by five men, saying they had taken his bag containing over £755 ($1,000) in cash and Chilean passport. Officers noted that he was 'somewhat un-cooperative' and smelled strongly of alcohol. On April 20, Kristi Noem took her family, including her grandchildren, out for dinner at Capital Burger, a restaurant located roughly halfway between the White House and US Capitol. The homeland security secretary had £2,270 ($3,000) in cash in her handbag, which she intended to use to pay for the meal. '[Ms Noem's] entire family was in town including her children and grandchildren – she was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,' a DHS spokesperson said after the incident. It is unclear whether Mr Leiva, had he been in the restaurant, would have recognised Ms Noem had he been in Capital Burger, or realised two of the men sat at the bar near her table were plainclothes Secret Service officers. Prosecutors do not allege he targeted her because she is the face of Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, Instead, authorities allege it was Ms Noem's Gucci shoulder bag that caught his eye. 'Frankly, it was a nice-looking purse,' Ed Martin, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, later told NBC News. Referencing to CCTV footage of the incident, he added: 'This was not an amateur. This was a person, a thief, that knew how to do this. You could see how he scouted the room out.' The relatively upmarket restaurant – its flagship burger, which boasts caramelised onions, Gruyère cheese and shallot aioli, costs £17 ($23) – is dimly lit with tables set close together. Mr Leiva is said to have edged his chair towards the homeland security secretary, twisted his body to the left, and used his leg to edge the bag towards him before scooping it up and leaving abruptly. He reportedly told police that he disposed of most of the contents of the bag, which included Ms Noem's driving licence, government identification card, medication and keys, but kept her purse and the £2,270 ($3,000) she had inside. He then apparently boarded a bus to an Italian restaurant, where he spent more than £151 ($200) on food and drink with her credit cards, leaving both the bag and purse in full view of a security camera as he sat at the bar. Mr Leiva then allegedly headed outside and is said to have fallen asleep at one of the restaurant's tables until 7.30am the following morning. Police later arrested him at a Motel 6 in northern Washington, roughly a 35-minute bus ride from Capital Burger. According to documents submitted to DC's US district court, Mr Leiva admitted to stealing Ms Noem's bag but could not remember the other offences, citing memory loss caused by alcoholism. Staff at a Quality Inn had told authorities that he had drunkenly argued with a shift manager who had asked him to return to his room. Soon after his arrest he was transferred to hospital after complaining of alcohol withdrawal, according to the court filing. He has been charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and robbery in connection with the three thefts.
Yahoo
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The ‘career criminal' accused of stealing Kristi Noem's handbag
A Gucci shoulder bag worth thousands, left under a woman's seat in a burger restaurant, probably looked like an easy target. After spotting the bag, a thief in a Covid mask and dark cap hooked his foot through the strap, tugged it over to his table and swiftly exited the building before heading out onto the evening streets of Washington, DC, prosecutors say. It seems to have been sheer bad luck for the man, whom authorities claim is Mario Bustamante Leiva, that the bag belonged to Kristi Noem, the US homeland security secretary and one of the most powerful figures in Donald Trump's government. Court documents claim the theft of Ms Noem's bag was just one incident in a one-man crime spree, alleging the suspect committed three separate robberies in just over a week in the city. Mr Leiva, a Chilean national whom police said has admitted to stealing Ms Noem's bag after being arrested last month, reportedly honed his pickpocketing skills on the streets of London more than a decade ago. The 49-year-old, who was branded a 'career criminal' by Ms Noem, and whom the department of homeland security (DHS) says is in the US illegally, was previously handed a prison sentence for a series of thefts in Britain. In the space of five months, he reportedly stole £21,000 ($27,800) of phones, wallets and computers in bars and cafes in high-end areas of London, the Daily Mail reported. When Mr Leiva was finally arrested in December 2014 entering a pub north of London Bridge, he was said to have been listening to a stolen iPod. Mr Leiva, a father of three with no fixed address, reportedly admitted to 22 charges of theft, and was sentenced to three years in prison by a judge who branded him 'dishonest to his fingertips', according to the Daily Mail. It is unclear how long Mr Leiva spent in prison. He is reported to have entered the US legally in 2021 under Joe Biden, before breaching the terms of his admission. Chile is the only South American state that belongs to the US's visa waiver programme, which allows citizens to enter for 90 days – although it is unclear if Mr Leiva made use of this. The New York Post reports he belonged to a large 'robbery organisation' operating on the East Coast, although this is not mentioned in court documents. Authorities place him in Washington, DC, on April 12 this year, where he is said to have removed a woman's purse from the back of her chair while she was eating in a Nando's restaurant, using his jacket to conceal it on his way out. He allegedly acted alongside a second individual who blocked the theft from view. The pair then apparently went to a Safeway supermarket, where Mr Leiva's alleged accomplice is said to have bought a £377 ($500) gift card using the woman's credit card. Five days later, Mr Leiva had re-appeared at DC's downtown Westin Hotel, where he allegedly walked in with a coat hanging over his left arm, brushing past the chair where a woman was eating with her family – and swiping her purse in the process. On his way there, at the Dolcezza coffee shop a block away, he appears to have removed an object – the size of a wallet or purse, investigators said – from a tan shoulder bag. He is then said to have returned to the Safeway and made two purchases: a £9 ($12) bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, and ten minutes later, a £300 ($400) gift card. On April 19 he appeared in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he called the police and reported that he had been sleeping on a bench when he was robbed by five men, saying they had taken his bag containing over £755 ($1,000) in cash and Chilean passport. Officers noted that he was 'somewhat un-cooperative' and smelled strongly of alcohol. On April 20, Kristi Noem took her family, including her grandchildren, out for dinner at Capital Burger, a restaurant located roughly halfway between the White House and US Capitol. The homeland security secretary had £2,270 ($3,000) in cash in her handbag, which she intended to use to pay for the meal. '[Ms Noem's] entire family was in town including her children and grandchildren – she was using the withdrawal to treat her family to dinner, activities, and Easter gifts,' a DHS spokesperson said after the incident. It is unclear whether Mr Leiva, had he been in the restaurant, would have recognised Ms Noem had he been in Capital Burger, or realised two of the men sat at the bar near her table were plainclothes Secret Service officers. Prosecutors do not allege he targeted her because she is the face of Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, Instead, authorities allege it was Ms Noem's Gucci shoulder bag that caught his eye. 'Frankly, it was a nice-looking purse,' Ed Martin, the US attorney for the District of Columbia, later told NBC News. Referencing to CCTV footage of the incident, he added: 'This was not an amateur. This was a person, a thief, that knew how to do this. You could see how he scouted the room out.' The relatively upmarket restaurant – its flagship burger, which boasts caramelised onions, Gruyère cheese and shallot aioli, costs £17 ($23) – is dimly lit with tables set close together. Mr Leiva is said to have edged his chair towards the homeland security secretary, twisted his body to the left, and used his leg to edge the bag towards him before scooping it up and leaving abruptly. He reportedly told police that he disposed of most of the contents of the bag, which included Ms Noem's driving licence, government identification card, medication and keys, but kept her purse and the £2,270 ($3,000) she had inside. He then apparently boarded a bus to an Italian restaurant, where he spent more than £151 ($200) on food and drink with her credit cards, leaving both the bag and purse in full view of a security camera as he sat at the bar. Mr Leiva then allegedly headed outside and is said to have fallen asleep at one of the restaurant's tables until 7.30am the following morning. Police later arrested him at a Motel 6 in northern Washington, roughly a 35-minute bus ride from Capital Burger. According to documents submitted to DC's US district court, Mr Leiva admitted to stealing Ms Noem's bag but could not remember the other offences, citing memory loss caused by alcoholism. Staff at a Quality Inn had told authorities that he had drunkenly argued with a shift manager who had asked him to return to his room. Soon after his arrest he was transferred to hospital after complaining of alcohol withdrawal, according to the court filing. He has been charged with wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and robbery in connection with the three thefts. Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
