Thugs and loot

[Mohreb]

I just started playing, and was wondering, what is the point of those tugs on the street?
Read somewhere they give loot so I attacked a few of them, but they did not had nothing.

 

[Obsidyan]

They give some loot, like cash, and sometimes weapons.
But, where there are thugs, you might found a loot crate (just look right next to them). And those loot crates can give you some REALLY good weapons (rares and epics, but it's RNG so, ...)

 

[redscoper]

there are some minor quests involving thugs