Emad Lechhed, 26, snatched an unsuspecting man's bag from the ground outside a pub in the heart of the Square Mile.
Fortunately, officers from the City of London Police's Proactive Acquisitive Crime Team were patrolling the area and spotted him.
On the evening of June 12, Lechhed was loitering around a pub in Cannon Street, where plain-clothed officers were keeping an eye on him.
At around 9:30pm, Lechhed sneaked up behind a group standing outside the pub and picked-up the victim's bag, without him even noticing and made off.
Officers immediately sprang into action, running after Lechhed, who dropped the bag during the chase.
Lechhed was caught and arrested on London Bridge, just five minutes after committing the offence.
The bag was returned to the owner before he even realised it had been taken.
Inspector Dan Green said: “The stolen bag, and the contents, was soon returned to the owner, before they knew it was stolen.
“The victim was full of praise for our officers when he got his bag back so quickly and we made an arrest.
“This is another fantastic result from our plain-clothed officers.
“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.”
Lechhed was also handed a Criminal Behaviour Order, banning him from entering the City for two years.
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