A prolific bag thief, who targeted pubs in the City of London, has been sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
Sid Rebai, 36, of no fixed abode, pleaded guilty to six counts of theft.
He was also handed a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO) banning him from entering the City of London for six years.
On Tuesday 6 May, plain-clothed officers from the Proactive Acquisitive Crime Team spotted Rebai, who was known to police, at a pub in Aldgate.
Officers approached Rebai, found a stolen bag on him and arrested him for theft. The victim was identified and officers returned the bag and its contents to him.
Inspector Dan Green, of the Proactive Acquisitive Crime Team at the City of London Police, said:
“This is another great result in seeing a prolific bag thief behind bars and returning stolen items to victims.
“Our warning to criminals; don’t come into the City to steal bags. If you do, you risk being spotted by our plain-clothed officers, who will track you down, arrest you and bring you to justice.”
Rebai was convicted of the stealing three bags on Tuesday 8 April 2025 from pubs in the City. He was also convicted of stealing a bag and a laptop from a pub in the Minories on Tuesday 29 April 2025.