Shop owners are reluctant to report incidents of theft carried out by women for fear of attracting attention to other violations.

Owners often sacrifice taking legal action and restore their own properties after such a crime has been committed.

The emergence of regulated female gangs has recently surfaced after many were employed as shop assistants.

Lt. Nawaf Al-Bouq, spokesman for the Jeddah police, urged shop owners to report any incidents to stop offenders from committing more serious acts.

Muhammad Alwi, the CEO of a renowned mall in Jeddah, said they cannot count on thieves’ promises that they won’t enter the premises again since women’s faces are often hidden by a thick veil, he explained.

A female director of a shop at another mall lamented the fact that store owners refrain from reporting incidents involving women. “They fear getting caught for other offenses,” she said.