KATHMANDU: Incidences of filching have terrorised many in Valley in recent days. Women, specially adorned with jewelries are often the soft targets for ruffians mounted on bike, who speed away with their necklaces.

According to Metropolitan Police Range, Kathmandu Valley is currently rife with ‘filching.’ Police said a large number of goons and robbers are freely roaming in the Kathmandu Valley with fake identity cards, forged licenses and counterfeit occupational documents to cheat gullible people.

Believing to be true, some victims had even had even given large amount of money to the robbers for performing their works, according to police. In the last quarter of the current fiscal, at least 30 cases of filching were lodged at the Metropolitan Police Range. In August alone, there were six cases, followed by nine cases registered in September, two in October and 13 in the last month.

Victims had told the police that they were robbed in shops, restaurants, bars, bus stops, public parks and a score of other places. “Robbing people has become a big business nowadays for the thieves,” an official at the Metropolitan Police Range, said.

“These days, they are employing many tricks to rob the people. And they have the knack to quickly read an individual’s mind,” he added.

“Unless you are careful enough, you can be one of the victims,” warned Neupane, urging the people to keep a vigil over suspicious people.