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Surge of pickpocket thefts at Montreal cafés

MONTREAL — Janet Graham still can’t believe what happened to her last week.

On Friday, she was sitting inside a Premiere Moisson coffee shop on Monkland Boulevard, reading her newspaper.

During a moment of inattention, a pickpocket removed her wallet from her purse.

Her driver’s licence, photos and hundreds of dollars — gone in an instant.

“Now I feel nervous, it’s very very upsetting,” said Graham.

Stories like Graham’s are becoming pretty common on Monkland Boulevard these days.

In recent weeks, there has been a surge of similar thefts at the nearby Starbucks and the Second Cup Café next door.

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On Sunday, a customer at Second Cup also had her purse pickpocketed.

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Employee Vanessa Carter told Global News that store staff were warning customers to be careful — to keep valuables out of sight.

“We always tell customers to keep their purses next to them, and not to leave them on the corner of the chairs,” said Carter.

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At the Premiere-Moisson coffee shop on Cote-des-Neiges Boulevard, as many as 10 people have had cell phones, laptops, or a smartphone stolen since Christmas.

Graham said she was told by Montreal police the pickpockets could be part of a well-organized network of thieves.

“They told me these people are real pros, they’re very, very, very slick, they know what they’re doing.”

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