Pickpocketing Increases in Kabul Amid Poverty and Unregulated Markets, Residents Say

Residents of Kabul report a significant increase in pickpocketing in recent days, particularly in crowded areas where thieves target cash, mobile phones, and other valuables. They attribute the rise to poverty, unemployment, and the lack of regulation on second-hand goods markets, where stolen items are bought cheaply and resold at higher prices.

Starte, a Kabul resident using a pseudonym, recounted losing her 45,000-afghani mobile phone just one week after purchase while shopping in Kot-e Sangi for a family wedding. She said the crowd was dense, and despite checking security camera footage at a nearby store and reporting to a police precinct and the crimes investigation department, no results were obtained.

Shirshah, another resident, noted that incidents have surged with the approach of Eid, including armed robberies by unemployed youth in alleys and pickpocketing in markets. He criticized the release of thieves after payment, calling for stricter enforcement, serious punishments, and mandatory IMEI registration of phones at the telecommunications ministry to enable tracking and blocking of stolen devices.

Residents have repeatedly approached Taliban security posts to recover stolen phones but received no resolution. They report that security cameras in various city locations have not reduced thefts. Morteza, another Kabul resident, observed people frantically searching for lost items in markets like Kot-e Sangi and near Maryam High School, linking the crimes to idle youth and child laborers resorting to theft due to inability to earn livelihoods.

Kabul residents urge mobile phone and gold sellers to demand valid purchase documents, original boxes, or official guarantees before buying second-hand goods, warning that transactions without such verification perpetuate the cycle of theft.