In San Borja, a motorized thief on a scooter surprised a couple in public, snatched their phone, and fled toward San Isidro. The criminal wore a reflective vest and an MTC-regulated helmet—items mandated by Peru's government to combat urban insecurity.   

 Despite Dina Boluarte's administration requiring motorcyclists to wear reflective vests with license plate numbers and approved helmets, robberies persist in the capital, raising doubts about the measure's effectiveness. On May 24, security cameras captured a brazen theft on Parque Sur Avenue in San Borja: a woman about to take a selfie had her phone grabbed by a vest-clad thief on a scooter. The couple chased after him in vain as he escaped to San Isidro. This same perpetrator is believed to have committed another phone theft in Cercado de Lima days earlier.   

 Similar incidents have been reported in San Juan de Lurigancho and along Arequipa Avenue, where thieves in orange vests on scooters targeted pedestrians. Residents of San Borja expressed frustration, noting that MTC regulations haven't curbed crimes like robberies and street violence.   

 The cases highlight a paradox: while mandatory safety gear aims to identify motorcyclists and enhance security, criminals are exploiting the uniform-like vests to blend in, continuing to plague cities with thefts.