Mobile thieves snatch bags

TWO women had their handbags stolen in separate brazen attacks that saw a man reach out through the window of a moving vehicle to snatch their bags.

At 1.30pm a couple of general duties police officers from Palmerston were doing patrols of the Palmerston Shopping Centre and were in the under- ground carpark when they were approached by a group of three girls.

One had just had her handbag snatched by offenders driving a white Toyota HiLux.

During the robbery the HiLux clipped another car.

The 20-year-old victim was not able to get the registration of the vehicle.

Soon after the Palmerston theft it was reported about 2pm that at the Jape Homemaker Village carpark a similar incident occurred.

A woman was walking in the carpark of the centre, near the Fernwood gym, when a couple of males in a white HiLux, with a canopy on the back, stole her handbag.

Territory Duty Superintendent Louise Jorgensen said police were investigating a stolen vehicle that matched the description of the HiLux but couldn’t confirm if it was the same vehicle used in the robberies.

Supt Jorgensen said police believe the incidents are connected.

“We’d be appealing for anybody that has any information to come forward and just alerting people, especially women, who are out shopping to secure your handbag,” she said.

“We’re making every effort to apprehend the offenders.”

Detectives from Strikeforce Trident and general duties police are working closely to see the crims arrested.

The brazen thefts comes just days after a 67-year-old woman was brutally thrown to the ground and dragged by a mugger as he attempted to pull a handbag from her grasp.

The attack was captured on CCTV in the carpark of the Hibiscus shopping centre in Leanyer. The footage shows a man walk up behind the woman at 10.40pm.

He then slings the woman to the ground as he tries to rip the handbag from her grasp.

Anyone with information on any of the incidents should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.