The phrase "real thief" refers to someone who truly commits theft or steals things. It is used to differentiate between someone who actually steals and someone who is falsely accused or suspected of stealing. Full definition
The former pension boss also said he was not a thief and has not stolen anything rather, he has documents that would expose the real thieves. (nigeriapoliticsonline.com)
And the final thing is that the real thief of thyroid function is not cruciferous vegetables; it's the environmental toxins we talked about. (supernutritionacademy.com)
Meanwhile, the real thief uses the pop - up book to hunt for a rumored lost treasure. (artsbham.com)