This is the shocking moment a pickpocket was caught on CCTV appearing to steal a woman's iPhone in India.

Surveillance footage shows the man in a black hoodie watching the woman in a blue blouse as she tapped away on her iPhone 13 before pocketing the gadget.

The alleged thief then sidled next to her and used a yellow bag to conceal his hand as he expertly plucked the expensive phone from her pocket.

Writing online, the alleged victim, Sarah, said she had been on a pilgrimage with her parents in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, when the phone was stolen on January 29.

She said she filed a report with police, who she claimed were unable to help her despite obtaining CCTV footage and determining the suspected pickpocket's identity.

Police named the man as 'Vijay' - a notorious thief and jailbird in the area.

A furious Sarah wrote on February 5: 'Even after him being identified and being in police database, still to this day we have no updates from the police as to where he or my phone is.

'Today, Find My Iphone showed me its latest location to be in Jharkhand i.e another state.

'A pilgrimage trip to Varanasi & Kashi Vishwanath temple turned into a traumatic criminal experience for me and my family. Such people near the temple area demean the sanctity of the place and make it unsafe for tourists who want to visit for spiritual purposes.'