I'm not sure what happenned but no container will open for me any more. I can't even pick anyone's pocket. Has anyone else experienced this behaviour?
This is a known problem which might be fixed in the upcoming patch if they've tracked down what's causing it. However, just in case they haven't found it, it might be a good idea for you to zip up your most recent save game file and send it to webmaster@troikagames.com.
I went back to a previous save (luckily I save a LOT) and the problem was gone. I'll take your advice about the buggy save file.