While dozing on subways in the wee hours of the morning, male straphangers are being targeted by lushworkers – opportunistic thieves who prey on the drunk and sleeping, police officials said.

There have been 30 such cases in the southern part of Manhattan alone between May 1 and early this month, although the trend dates back to November, police said. In all of the cases, a perpetrator cut a victim’s pants pocket and swiped his wallet, mobile telephone, or MP3 player.

Most or all of the victims were inebriated, police said. In 28 of the crimes, the victim was asleep on a subway car. One victim was asleep on a subway platform, police said, and another was sleeping on a station’s steps.

In the most recent case, the victim was on the subway at 42nd Street and Seventh Avenue at 1 a.m. when his pocket was cut and his wallet snatched, the authorities said.

Police said they have made at least one arrest and have identified a couple of other suspects. James Hammonds, 58, was arrested and charged with entering a halted subway car, cutting his victim’s pocket, and purloining a mobile telephone. Police allegedly saw Hammonds drop a razor onto a seat. He pleaded guilty to felony grand larceny July 20 and was sentenced to one year in prison.

The recent spike is not reflective of a widespread grand larceny problem. In Patrol Borough Manhattan South, which includes the precincts south of 59th Street, the number of grand larcenies – theft of property including such things as a credit card or something valued at more than $1,000 – reports dropped to 10,820 as of Sunday, compared to 11,594 at the same time last year, Police Department data show.

In Patrol Borough Manhattan North, grand larceny reports have dropped to 4,741 from 4,809 last year.

The rash of lushworker crime comes amid recently released FBI data indicating the city remains the safest big city in America.