Underage pickpockets caught red-handed operating in tourist areas in Venice

Venetian gangs are grooming children to work as pickpockets as they seek to prevent police crackdowns from eating into their profits, officials and activists have warned. Venice, as one of Italy 's top tourist attractions, has long been a hotspot for criminal activity targeting unsuspecting holidaymakers. The scourge has led furious residents to form their own associations to publicise the identities of those caught in the act and work as volunteer informants for police.