A PREGNANT woman was arrested for stealing smartphones from shopping malls and on commercial streets across Shenzhen, perpetrating six theft cases altogether, the Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.

The suspect, surnamed Li, was found in Longgang District on Sunday, the day after two iPhones were reported stolen from a shopping mall in the district.

The 28-year-old alleged perpetrator, who is six months pregnant, had just come to Shenzhen from Hainan Province, according to police.

She told police that she had stolen the smartphones when the customers and owners were not paying attention, and thought she could avoid punishment because of her pregnancy.

It has been confirmed that she committed six cases of theft in Nanshan and Longgang districts. The case is currently under further investigation.

(Zhang Yu)