It is easy to steal from anybody if you have an officer with you - found this by accident when trying to give a new item to the officer using the keyboard enter/return button (not the F2) and selecting the transfer icon - this ribbon stays available and will act on anybody around you when you look towards them and then hit the enter button. Pirates did steal from everyone LOL.
-- salonikasurf
https://www.piratesahoy.net/threads/beyond-new-horizons-alpha-release.34218/post-598442