Increase in Armed Crimes; From 'Shooting' in the Streets to 'Armed Robbery' of Jewelry Stores

In the past couple of days, Tehran has witnessed several violent incidents including armed robbery of a jewelry store, the murder of a 72-year-old man, and armed clashes among youths. According to a report by the government news agency Tasnim, a 72-year-old man was shot and killed by occupants of a motorcycle as he entered his home in the 'Pasdaran' neighborhood. The police reported that the perpetrators of the 'crime' fled the scene after the shooting. With the presence of officers from the 102nd precinct of Pasdaran, the identification team, forensic experts, and a special murder investigator, initial investigations indicated that 'this crime was carried out with prior planning.' According to the report, detectives from the 10th department of the police have been tasked with reviewing surveillance cameras and conducting intelligence operations to identify and arrest the perpetrators. The body of the victim has been transferred to forensic medicine for further examination, and investigations into this case are ongoing. In another incident, five armed men, 'in a planned action,' attacked a jewelry store in the Khalij Fars neighborhood of Tehran, stealing approximately 4 kilograms of gold. According to the government news agency Mehr, these individuals 'used a pistol, Kalashnikov, knife, and iron hammer to first break the display window of the jewelry store and then shot at passersby, causing fear and panic in the area.' The Greater Tehran police, after conducting initial investigations at the crime scene, have assigned criminal detectives to identify and apprehend the thieves. Efforts to locate these individuals are ongoing. Additionally, the Greater Tehran information police reported the arrest of six young men from a neighborhood who were severely injured in 'an armed clash in front of Laghman Hospital in Tehran.' According to a report by the government news agency ISNA, this clash 'began following personal disputes and for revenge' from a previous incident. The news agency wrote that 'the suspects attacked their neighbors using swords, batons, and knives, causing fear and panic among the public.' ISNA claimed that in the suspects' confessions, one of them stated that 'he decided to take revenge due to a previous fight at a coffee house with others.' Another suspect also stated that 'he went to Laghman Hospital to reclaim the rights of one of his friends' and participated in the clash. Additionally, one of the young suspects who owns a cosmetics shop claimed that 'he entered the clash to defend his friend and ultimately regrets it.' According to experts, the increase in armed crimes in the country in recent years has been due to economic problems, rising social violence, access to smuggled weapons, the growth of organized crime groups, and the expansion of corruption within the police system.