I am sure this is a subject raised / reported to embassies every summer in
Ulaanbaatar. Pickpocketing along the
main Peace Avenue, particularly between the Central Post Office and the State Department Store, starts in
earnest about June each year and continues into September. We operate shop near the State Department
Store and near the Gobi Cashmere Shop on Peace right in the pickpocketing
heartland.
This year the pickpockets are more organised, mainly teenage boys and girls
often dressed in similar ways to tourists, with a minder pushing them into
action. Whilst we know people should be
responsible for looking after their own property, we do remind shoppers all the
time about the pickpockets and their techniques – primarily one person walking
in front of the target and slowing them down whilst 3 others push and steal
from behind or simply working people’s bags when a bag is on the target’s back.
If challenged, the pickpockets immediately threaten people, sometimes
pulling knives. I have been threatened
when stopping pickpocketing taking place and my staff have also received
threats. We have people talking to us
daily, many traumertised, about what they have lost and the threats
received. We have discussed reporting
the events to the police but our staff have said this will be a waste of time
and that the links they perceive between pickpockets and authorities will only
cause us and our staff more problems and threats. Our staff, whilst recognising the pickpockets,
are unwilling to put themselves in danger by identifying them.
In previous years after fairly high level official complaints, we think by embassies,
both uniformed and plain clothed police have been put on the area in Peace
Avenue, immediately moving the pickpockets away from the most crowded areas of
town. No action has taken place this
year to deter the pickpockets. It affects tourism, business and the reputation
of Mongolia, but seems of little importance since the mining boom has started.
We should note that foreigners and Mongolians alike are targets but the
Mongolians seems to be more street wise.
Further Mongolians see foreigners being pickpocketed but will not
intervene because of the threats and violence used by the pickpockets.
