Police on Sunday said they arrested seven men and broke up a well-organised syndicate that stole credit cards and made big purchases — sometimes worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Officers said the group worked in busy places like sports grounds, cafes, and restaurants.

While victims were distracted, the thieves slipped credit cards out of their wallets and then put the wallets back, so people didn’t notice right away.

Senior Inspector Chui Wai-ying said there were 22 cases between September and December.

“After getting the cards, the syndicate quickly passed them through middlemen to other members. Those members then rushed to luxury stores — such as clothing and handbag shops — and shops selling ginseng and dried seafood to make big purchases," she said.

"Each card could be charged up to several hundred thousand dollars as they tried to max out the limits as fast as possible.”

Chui said police reviewed large amounts of CCTV footage and mapped out the roles within the group — pickpockets, intermediaries, and buyers — as well as their routes, handovers, and spending patterns.

She said this allowed officers to track down and arrest the suspects.

She reminded the public to safeguard their personal belongings, especially when exercising, dining, or in crowded places, adding that if a credit card is lost, they should notify the issuing bank immediately.

She noted that people should set up transaction alerts, such as SMS notifications, to spot suspicious charges early.