panties thief; knickers bandit
Slang term for a person who steals women's underwear, often from clotheslines or laundry. Derived from 下着 (underwear) + ドロ (slang for 泥棒, thief). Used in news and informal contexts.
See also: 泥
Apparently there's a panties thief in the neighborhood.
To avoid falling victim to a knickers bandit, I dry my laundry indoors.
Most common spelling in media and informal contexts; ドロ is a slang abbreviation of 泥棒 (thief).
Kanji spelling using 泥 for 'thief'; less common but still seen.
Compound of 下着 (したぎ, 'underwear') and ドロ, a slang abbreviation of 泥棒 (どろぼう, 'thief'). The abbreviation ドロ is common in casual or sensational contexts.