Teen pickpockets caught red-handed on Ermou
Four girls, aged between 14 and 18, have been detained in connection to a gang of pickpockets believed to have been working in the historic center of Athens.
The girls were caught in the act of attempting to distract a tourist in order to remove items from his bag on central Ermou Street on Monday afternoon, investigators said.
Two of the alleged ring members had asked the tourist for help in reading a map while the others attempted to remove valuables from his rucksack.
A search on the four girls turned up 180 euros, four cellphones and three Athens city maps.
The gang is believed to have been active for at least three months, focusing on busy parts of the capital favored by tourists, and has been linked to 13 pickpocketing incidents.
