Mobile phone thieves [Archives:2008/1215/Opinion]

Abdulhalim Saif
Like you the readers, as well as anyone else, I know that stealing of mobile phones arises fears among their holders due to the lack of sophisticated means to protect such small devices from professional thieves.

Mobile phone stealing is not a new phenomenon, but rather it dates back to appearance of cell phones in our country and that was eight years ago. At that time, the immoral phenomenon was limited, but it grew and spread over time. It can also be seen as a commonplace phenomenon practiced by thieves in most of Yemen's main cities.

The phenomenon also moved from qat and vegetable markets to public gardens, public transportation means, crowded venues, wedding parties, bus stations, and even worse to funeral services. One may rarely spend an entire day without hearing the phenomenon of mobile phone stealing from a friend or a relative.

Having told your friend or relative that your cell phone was stolen, they will sorrowfully laugh at what happened to you. Whoever heard the story of your cell phone theft would surely turn to his pockets to search for his mobile. But, how it would look like when your friend discovers that his cell phone was stolen too. Though careful you seem to be in order to protect your mobile from professional stealers, you will be once an easy target for these irresponsible thieves who are more than cunning to take away your mobile phone. Citizens seem to understand that stealing of mobile phones is not practiced individually. But, the lack of protective means constituted an easily exploitable factor for thieves to comprise active gangs that continue moving from street to street and from lane to lane. Members of these gangs distribute tasks among them throughout the different phases of stealing a mobile phone.

First of all, they start with identifying who is an easy target. They then select the most applicable method for stealing away his/her mobile phone, be it in his/her pocket, bag, car or house. They don't hesitate to break window glasses of cars or houses. After the operation is implemented successfully, the gang members finally select the most secure places for them to sell what they have stolen. It is so difficult for you to identify the thieve who you may find dressed up and with tidy appearance. To you, he appears as a respected and well-bred guy, thereby making you rule out that the guy you are looking at may steal your cell phone. This is what happened to me.

Below is my story:

One day, I was on my way home from work at Al-Thawra Daily Establishment at 10:00 p.m. in the company of my colleague Mohammed Al-Ariqi whom I left at Al-Misbani Intersection in Hadda area with my mobile phone in my pocket. Waiting for a taxi at that point to drive me home in Hadda Village, I suddenly heard a guy on a minibus's back seat calling me, “Come with us to Hadda Village.””

That guy was handsome with red cheeks and perfume smelling out from his clothes. He moved a little bit for me to sit beside him