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The women allegedly loved to go shopping for new purses and other people’s money.

Their collection was growing — 47 purses and counting, say police. The income was good too — thousands of dollars allegedly fleeced.

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It was the good life at the expense of others, according to cops.

Until the tap on the shoulder by Halton Regional Police detectives.

Investigators say an arrest marks the beginning of the end of an alleged purse snatching ring operated by — as police describe them — non-status “Romani Gypsies” who don’t speak fluent English. They say more arrests are pending.

But for Halton Regional Police, this was an important first step in stopping an alleged rash of crime against the vulnerable at many major stores in the Oakville and Burlington area.

“Police have been investigating multiple criminal groups targeting women and seniors for distraction-type purse and wallet thefts. These have occurred at various grocery and retail stores in Burlington and Oakville,” said a news release. “Police have received 47 reports of such thefts since the beginning of November 2017 where persons targeted were female senior citizens whose purses and/or wallets were stolen from their shopping carts while the owner was not looking.”