Related News
Police plan crackdown on bike and scooter thefts
By Dong Hui |
January 23, 2009, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SHANGHAI police will step up efforts to combat the theft of scooters, electric bikes and motorbikes this year and return more stolen vehicles to their owners, the Shanghai Public Security Bureau said yesterday.
The thefts, which occur mainly in downtown residential neighborhoods, streets and shopping malls, are a growing problem that has been plaguing local residents for many years, officers said.
Last year, the loss of powered two-wheelers accounted for 10.5 percent of all theft reports, up 2.2 percent from the year before, said Bao Zhiming, an official with the city's criminal investigation team.
The boom in the number of electric bikes powered by liquefied petroleum gas in recent years and their high value is responsible for the rise in thievery, officers said.
"Prices of LPG scooters and electric bikes range from 1,000 (US$146) to 7,000 yuan ?? dozens of times the cost of bicycles," Bao said. "But their anti-theft devices aren't much different from those of bikes."
Nearly 7,000 thieves were caught last year for stealing these vehicles, police said.
Public security officials said they will try to break up more theft gangs this year by putting more undercover agents in high-crime areas.
Thirty-three suspects from three vehicle theft gangs were caught in November, while 28 of them have been charged by prosecutors.
Officers were tipped off in early November that many stolen scooters were being sold near the Dayang Bridge in Zhabei District. The word on the street was that people who lost their scooters could even redeem their stolen property by paying up to 3,000 yuan.
After investigation, the police found that a person surnamed Ren, a native of Anhui Province, and a Chen from Henan had received stolen scooters from thieves and sold them to a local, Sun Jinming.
Ren operated vehicle repair shops on Ningqiang Road and Xunyang Road in Putuo District, both of which served as a cover, police said. Chen hid stolen vehicles in two parking lots in Hongkou District before selling them, authorities said.
Ren, Chen and Sun, who employed 30 people in their theft ring, were caught in December, according to police.
The Shanghai Public Security Bureau returned 50 stolen scooters and motorbikes to residents yesterday.
The thefts, which occur mainly in downtown residential neighborhoods, streets and shopping malls, are a growing problem that has been plaguing local residents for many years, officers said.
Last year, the loss of powered two-wheelers accounted for 10.5 percent of all theft reports, up 2.2 percent from the year before, said Bao Zhiming, an official with the city's criminal investigation team.
The boom in the number of electric bikes powered by liquefied petroleum gas in recent years and their high value is responsible for the rise in thievery, officers said.
"Prices of LPG scooters and electric bikes range from 1,000 (US$146) to 7,000 yuan ?? dozens of times the cost of bicycles," Bao said. "But their anti-theft devices aren't much different from those of bikes."
Nearly 7,000 thieves were caught last year for stealing these vehicles, police said.
Public security officials said they will try to break up more theft gangs this year by putting more undercover agents in high-crime areas.
Thirty-three suspects from three vehicle theft gangs were caught in November, while 28 of them have been charged by prosecutors.
Officers were tipped off in early November that many stolen scooters were being sold near the Dayang Bridge in Zhabei District. The word on the street was that people who lost their scooters could even redeem their stolen property by paying up to 3,000 yuan.
After investigation, the police found that a person surnamed Ren, a native of Anhui Province, and a Chen from Henan had received stolen scooters from thieves and sold them to a local, Sun Jinming.
Ren operated vehicle repair shops on Ningqiang Road and Xunyang Road in Putuo District, both of which served as a cover, police said. Chen hid stolen vehicles in two parking lots in Hongkou District before selling them, authorities said.
Ren, Chen and Sun, who employed 30 people in their theft ring, were caught in December, according to police.
The Shanghai Public Security Bureau returned 50 stolen scooters and motorbikes to residents yesterday.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
