Consequences of Economic Crisis; Annual Theft of 100 Billion Tomans in Road Equipment

The economic crisis in Iran has exacerbated various anomalies and crimes, with the latest statement from the Deputy of Road Maintenance at the Road Maintenance and Transportation Organization indicating that up to 100 billion tomans worth of road equipment is stolen annually. Reza Akbari emphasized that this road maintenance and construction equipment, as well as safety signs, are typically stolen by low-income and addicted individuals. According to this official, these thefts are not limited to the country's roads, as thefts are significantly higher within cities, especially in Tehran. In April of this year, the 'Open Data Iran' platform reported, based on data from the 'Statistical Center of Iran,' a 70% increase in theft statistics in Iran from 2012 to 2021. During this period, the number of thefts rose from approximately 545,000 cases per year to over 900,000. Saeed Piyavandi, a sociologist residing in France, mentioned in an interview with the Persian section of Voice of America that theft is one of the consequences of the economic crisis, stating that poverty and livelihood issues lead to an increase in the number of thieves in the country. Tehran's police chief, Hossein Rahimi, announced last November that 55% of arrested thieves were first-time offenders. The newspaper Etemad reported on June 15 of this year that 'thieves, in conversations with the media, mostly say they had economic problems, which is why they decided to steal, but theft is very closely related to societal crises. Economic crises and livelihood issues, increasing class gaps, inflation, divorce, unemployment, and family problems all contribute to individuals turning to theft.' On the other hand, while thieves face the punishment of amputation under the Islamic Republic's penal laws, the statistics of theft in the country have not only not decreased but have also shown a concerning increase in recent years, according to judicial officials. Previously, Reza Masoudifar, the Deputy of the Social Affairs of the Judiciary, reported a sevenfold increase in theft over 12 years, from 2009 to 2021. The newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad explained that inflation has caused asset prices to rise, resulting in the price of consumer goods such as mobile phones or car parts reaching several times the minimum wage of workers, prompting thieves to accept the risks and consequences of theft. This newspaper emphasized that the high youth unemployment rate indicates that the economy lacks the capacity to absorb job seekers, which is another factor contributing to the increase in crimes for income. Ahmad Bokharaei, a sociologist and researcher, stated to Tejarat News that 'the disease of the economy reaches from the macro level to the middle and micro levels, manifesting in the thief and their behavior. We set prison and punishment for the thief, while the thief is forced to steal to make a living.' This sociologist stressed that 'years ago, sociologists sounded the alarm for social collapse. Now, it is no longer a matter of crisis; the country is caught in a super crisis.'