Police in Tbilisi’s Vake-Saburtalo district have detained a previously convicted man on suspicion of armed robbery after an attack on two foreign citizens in a city square, the Interior Ministry said.
Robbery in a capital square
According to the official account, the incident took place in one of the capital’s squares. The suspect approached the two foreign nationals, displayed a cold weapon — a knife — and threatened them while seizing their mobile phones, then fled the scene.
Ministry statements said district officers moved quickly on hot leads and arrested the man shortly afterward. The stolen phones have already been recovered and recorded as physical evidence in the case file.
Foreign visitors and residents in central Tbilisi districts are frequent targets for street theft, but robberies involving an open threat with a blade are treated as a more serious offence under Georgian criminal law than simple pickpocketing or snatch theft without violence.
Charges under Georgian law
Investigators are pursuing the case under Article 179 of Georgia’s Criminal Code, which covers robbery. A conviction can bring a prison term of up to 12 years, reflecting the use of force or the threat of force to take property.
Authorities described the detainee as a repeat offender with a prior conviction. No further details were released on the victims’ nationalities, their condition after the confrontation, or the precise square beyond the Vake-Saburtalo police district’s area of responsibility. The probe continues under Interior Ministry oversight.
