Police are investigating links between two groups of Bulgarian women arrested for allegedly operating pickpocket rings on Melbourne's tram network, the Age newspaper reported.

Three Bulgarian women were yesterday charged in relation to more than 40 purse and wallet thefts on trams in the past month.

The arrests come after three other Bulgarian women, aged 16, 27 and 32, were charged for a spate of about 70 thefts from tram passengers in December.

Most of the alleged victims were unaware their property had been snatched until they had left trams, according to police.

Transit police launched an operation to find the alleged thieves after the number of reported stolen purses and wallets on trams spiked to 42 in the past fortnight.

Plainclothes police officers yesterday arrested two 26-year-old women and a 24-year-old woman after noticing the group acting suspiciously upon leaving a tram.

Police allege one of the women was in possession of a stolen purse and during a search of their city hotel room seized American dollars and Euros.

The trio have been charged with theft and possessing the proceeds of crime. They are due to appear in Melbourne Magistrates Court.

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