Phone snatching incidents continue to occur in and around 60th Street in Mandalay City

Phone snatching incidents are continuously occurring in and around 60th Street in Mandalay City, according to victims. On July 3rd, around 6 PM, a woman was walking and returning from shopping between 37th and 38th Streets on 60th Street in Maha Aung Myay Township when her bag and phone, which she was holding, were snatched. Regarding the incident, the victim, Ma Su Pyi Wint, said, "About half an hour after my phone was snatched, the thief sent me fake links through a different phone, pretending to be a notification from Apple to track the phone's location. When I clicked the link, it asked me to enter my phone's passcode. In my confusion, I clicked it without realizing it wasn't the phone's passcode. I was so flustered that I couldn't even distinguish whether the link was fake or real. When I got to the phone shop and showed them the messages, they told me that after snatching or stealing phones, they send such fake links. They said that many victims, thinking it's real, enter their passcodes, and then the phones can be opened and taken away. They are working with tech-savvy individuals to carry out these crimes. I am going to report this to the police station so that others like me don't experience this. I am also sharing these details so that people can be aware and avoid such situations if they encounter them." Regarding the phone snatching incident of Ma Su Pyi Wint, a case has been filed at the 9th Police Station under Section 382. The officer in charge stated, "Currently, this is the only case of phone snatching reported within our station's jurisdiction. When such a case is reported, we thoroughly investigate the scene, search for CCTV footage, and conduct thorough investigations to apprehend the culprits. We also warn people talking on their phones while patrolling the streets. Whether a case is filed or not depends on the victim's wishes." It has also been observed on social media that these phone snatching incidents targeting women are frequently occurring in the vicinity of 60th Street, between 36th and 40th Streets. Ma Su Pyi Wint explained that the phones were snatched from places where many people were present, and the phones were kept in torn plastic bags. She added that snatching incidents are numerous in the area around 60th Street, and even when many people are around and moving about, these thefts are occurring. She also mentioned that one of her friends was robbed in front of their house between 34th and 35th Streets on 64th Street. "In reality, there are organized groups who steal and snatch phones and then work with tech-savvy individuals. Previously, through investigations, we identified a fixed location, but due to various reasons, we could not continue. Victims must file a report. Only then can effective investigations and actions be taken," said a former police officer.