Despite being governed by its own Islamic laws for nearly half a century, it can be argued that today’s society in Iran has the highest rate of theft and the largest number of thieves ever seen. These Islamic laws, which condemn thieves to punishments such as hand amputation, are enforced. As the saying goes, a hungry stomach knows no religion, and unfortunately, today’s society in Iran has become one of poverty, with a majority of people living hand-to-mouth. The poor and hungry are forced to resort to theft in order to survive, robbing themselves and the community of security. Nothing and no one is safe, and theft has become a major challenge for society, one that governments are unable to solve despite their strict adherence to Islamic law.

Loss of social justice, unfair distribution of wealth, widespread unemployment, structural corruption in governing institutions, poverty and destitution of the majority of society, class divisions in society, a sick economy driven by rent-seeking and speculation with no scientific basis, skyrocketing prices and inflation, and so on, are all factors contributing to this social problem or issue that even the strictest Islamic laws have been unable to prevent and have only added to it.

Our intention in this writing is not to address the factors that have caused these thefts, but rather to briefly examine the nature of these thefts and their relationship with society, the people, the thieves, and also the authorities who have confronted society with this issue.

Nothing is safe from the hands of thieves.

Theft, or stealing, is a type of abnormality or, as it is said, deviance and wrongdoing that has taken shape in society for various reasons; a problem that has dangerous consequences for society in all aspects of life. This problem may have existed in human life for centuries and its meaning is clear to both individuals and society. Theft has become less common in many modern and developed societies with proper economic order and laws, while in underdeveloped societies where injustice, class conflict, poverty, and unemployment exist, this problem has increased and continues in various forms.

In backward societies, which can also include present-day Iran, theft has become a widespread and threatening problem. Undoubtedly, the ideological and religious views of the authorities towards social issues and their implementation of Islamic laws, which themselves are a major factor in driving the masses into poverty, are among the important causes of this abnormality. Unfortunately, for years, the officials of the Islamic Republic have paid no attention to the causes and factors that lead to thefts, and only focus on the strict implementation of the Islamic laws in the Qisas bill, which orders the cutting off of the hand of the thief, without studying and evaluating this major problem.

This phenomenon, which leads to many unpleasant consequences, has unfortunately taken on widespread and dangerous forms and dimensions in today’s Iranian society, and has become an unprecedented and uncontrollable problem that affects all levels and aspects of society, and has encompassed the daily lives of all members of society – from the poorest classes to the wealthiest, and from public property to large government assets. It has reached such an extent and taken on new and unjust forms that have never been seen before in the history of this land. The prevalence and variety of thefts in today’s Iranian society are so complex and constantly increasing that they cannot even be classified as acceptable processes; because each time, thefts occur in ways that have never been seen before, and new thieves emerge with new tricks.

Thieves steal aluminum screws weighing four to five grams from gas regulators in homes, as well as windows and corners of homes, strong electrical tower poles, concrete bridge rods, cornerstones of overpasses, and basically anything that can bring them money. They have no problem selling their stolen goods, as there are hundreds of scrap dealers who buy all kinds of stolen goods at current rates and compete with each other in these purchases.

One of the other tricks that thieves use these days is the use of force. As the trend of thefts continues to increase, thefts are now being carried out in a more open and armed manner, such as on busy roads or highways. We are now witnessing many sad news reports of robberies and thefts being carried out in broad daylight in an armed manner. These thefts have robbed people of their sense of security, causing some individuals to not even have the courage to wear their decorative jewelry in public or even in their own homes. They are afraid to use them at all times and keep their belongings hidden from everyone’s view.

Some officials of government departments and agencies have embezzled public funds.

Perhaps the only type of categorization that can be used to refer to different types of thefts is the theft of government property, or in other words, public property on one hand, and the theft of personal property of individuals in society on the other hand.

The volume of thefts from public and governmental properties in recent years has revealed alarming figures. Some officials have spoken out about the theft of municipal properties by contractors, all while the smoke of theft from public properties is visible to the people.

The director of the Kermanshah Province Road and Transportation Administration has announced losses and damages of over ten billion tomans due to thefts in Kermanshah last year. (1) Officials of the Golestan Province Telecommunications also report damages of seven billion tomans due to theft of telecommunications cables in the province, while the total amount of cable thefts in the past five years has reached one hundred and forty billion tomans. (2) These statements by officials are just a small example of the rampant thefts that have occurred.

The latest theft that unfortunately remained in ambiguity, was the recent theft from the safe deposit box of the National Bank branch at Tehran University, which shocked everyone due to its volume and complexity.

The close connection between thefts and scrap buyers.

Iran is one of the few countries in the world where all types of waste are extensively and comprehensively recycled in a sustainable manner, without a doubt, providing a source of income for the majority of the impoverished population.

Nowadays, in the wealthy country of Iran, millions of people are able to feed themselves and their families by collecting and selling waste. As a result, thousands of people make a living by buying waste from them. The market for waste buyers is thriving in almost all the suburbs of Kermanshah and many other cities in Iran. Some streets in these suburbs are entirely dedicated to this profession, and hand-written signs that read “We buy all kinds of waste” can be seen everywhere. This false profession has thousands of customers, and most of these shops are active until late at night, buying all kinds of waste from iron to copper, iron scraps, cables, brass, dry bread, cardboard, and more. None of these shops have a business license for this profession. Their customers come from all walks of life, with one common factor – poverty and destitution, which have led them to this path.

We sit down to talk with a buyer of waste. When this waste buyer finds out we are journalists, it is difficult for him to accept us and he doesn’t want his name mentioned before anything else. It takes some time for him to gain trust and speak the truth.

He is around fifty years old and has a high school diploma and has completed his military service. He also has some skill in art and music. He says, “I never thought I would end up doing this, but years of unemployment and life’s pressures forced me to.”

He says, “To be honest, almost eighty to ninety percent of our daily purchases are stolen goods and we all know it, but if we want to stop buying stolen property, we have to find another job.”

He says that although the price of waste fluctuates greatly, it continues to rise every day: “We buy waste from customers, then sell it to wholesalers with a profit, and wholesalers, who are the main beneficiaries, sell the waste to large factories such as steel, cardboard, glass, etc.” He announces the current prices of some waste and says, “We buy these items from customers at these prices today. Tomorrow they may become more expensive or cheaper. We have to ask the rates from wholesalers almost every day or every two to three days, but our current rates are as follows: Iron is ten thousand tomans per kilo. Copper is two hundred thousand tomans. Rice is one hundred and fifty thousand tomans. Aluminum is sixty thousand tomans. Dry aluminum is fifty thousand tomans. Cardboard is five thousand tomans. Waste paper, including books, is six thousand tomans. Old plastic is seven thousand tomans. Steel is twenty-five thousand tomans. Batteries

A brief look into this false trend of waste, which has taken shape in Iranian society and has spread widely, worries people. Aside from its negative effects on the trend of theft, it also leads to a severe decline in the quality of production in many manufacturing centers and factories, such as iron and glass factories, which use these wastes in their production. This greatly reduces the quality and durability of their products, and this dangerous situation can have negative and destructive effects on newly established buildings, dams, bridges, etc., leaving its smoke in the eyes of the people, especially future generations.

There is no doubt that supply and demand are the primary factors in any economic and financial field. Without supply, there is no demand, and without demand, there will be no supply. Now, in regards to thefts in today’s Iranian society, both supply and demand are beyond imagination. Thieves who engage in all kinds of thefts, both small and large, have no problem with the supply of stolen goods, and buyers of stolen goods have no hesitation in purchasing them.

The current situation of society in Iran is such that if you look around in cities and villages, you will see the footsteps of thieves on various government and public properties; footprints and signs that have changed the face of cities and villages. Today, no one can see any property related to agricultural tools or livestock, as was the case in the past, in villages or among farms; because all of these properties have either been stolen by thieves or their owners, out of fear of theft, no longer have the courage to leave their properties in the fields even for one night and have taken them back to their homes.

This same process can be seen in the alleys and streets of cities. In many alleys and streets, all telecommunication cables and equipment related to household gas regulators and others have been stolen. This act of thieves, which also includes many other urban facilities such as overpasses, has made the face of cities ugly and unpleasant, and in addition to the dangers of theft of these properties, it has also caused fear and terror among the people.

At the foot of strange and peculiar conversations, two lost souls.

“I want to be with you forever.”

Continuing the preparation of the report, we will go to a few victims who have been robbed of their belongings by thieves.

The middle-aged woman who does not want her name to be mentioned says, “We are a poor family. My husband is a seasonal laborer and we are tenants. Throughout our life, I had bought a few pieces of gold jewelry, including a pair of earrings, a small chain, and some gold bangles, and this was all my savings. One night, we had to go somewhere. I didn’t have the courage to take the gold with me, so I wrapped them in plastic and hid them in the frozen belly of a chicken and put the chicken in the freezer, next to a few other frozen chickens. When we came back the next day, I was surprised to see that the chickens were gone from our freezer. It seemed like the thieves had come straight for the gold; they had also taken a few pieces of our household items, but my surprise was how they found the frozen chickens in the freezer and took the gold.”

I ask someone from acquaintances, didn’t you doubt that they might be the thieves of your belongings? In response, they say: “Except for myself, no one else, even my husband didn’t know where the gold was. With surprise in their eyes, they say some people say that the thieves might not have known about the gold in the chickens’ stomachs and took the chickens to fill their stomachs, and by chance, they also found the gold. Others say that some thieves have a gold detector device; a device that can even detect the location, amount, and exact place of the gold inside the house. Who knows; we became poor and left.”

Another lost person, named S.P., says: “My wife called me and said she wants to leave the house. I told her to give me ten more minutes to finish my work and then she can go. It took me less than half an hour to get home. When I arrived, the front door was open and I immediately became suspicious. At first, I thought burglars were inside, but it didn’t take long for me to realize they had left.”

This bankrupt person says, “We had some belongings, jewelry, and cash that we had left in the basement of our house and had locked the basement door tightly from both inside and outside; so that we could easily reach our belongings through a small window and open the inner lock with its key; while the thieves had easily cut the inner lock like cutting water and looted all of our belongings.”

This victim says: “Now even the police won’t get involved in less than twenty million stolen goods and they hand over the case to the dispute resolution council. If the thieves are found, they should be brought to the victim, but I can’t remember a case where a thief was found and the stolen goods were returned to the victim.”

Notes:

1- Theft of over ten billion tomans from Kermanshah road equipment, Tin News, 27 Farvardin 1401.

2- Seven billion tomans in damages caused by thieves on the hands of Golestan Telecommunications / Identification of the chain of small-scale theft activities, ISNA, December 28, 2021.