Christmas came early for a gang of thieves with a taste for the finer things in life when they targeted customers at the up-market H&M shop in Sandton, Johannesburg. The gang of eight began their shopping spree on Saturday morning.Their strategy: crowd around customers, distract them and in the confusion pilfer their handbags and pockets.The management of the store, which opened last week, said there was little they could do to prevent such occurrences other than warn customers about pickpockets.Par Darj, manager of H&M SA, said the company had employed more guards."We are aware of this problem but it is ultimately up to the customers to protect their belongings," Darj said.But shoppers Raeesa and Aadila Adamjee said the security guards and management at H&M were less than helpful on Saturday."They were not interested. They just told us to keep our voices down," said Aadila."The thieves were so quick . "The store was very crowded. We were walking down an aisle when a group of women walked towards us."Suddenly they were on top of us. When I tried to turn a man was behind me, pushing me with his chest."Aadila went to a security guard who failed to help her, she said."When I turned to my sister a woman had her hand in her bag."The women disappeared with Raeesa's cellphone.When Raeesa called out, other customers checked their handbags and five of them found that, they, too had been robbed...