The police officers in charge of the case introduced the scene at the time of the incident through video surveillance. Photo by Chen Yong.
According to reports (by reporter Chen Yong, correspondent Jia Yi and Zhenkui Zou), an electric bicycle theft gang from Jiangxi province had sneaked into Changsha County recently, committing 12 consecutive crimes. However, what the suspects thought was a covert theft process was completely captured on "camera" by the video surveillance. Recently, three members of the theft gang were arrested. Yesterday morning, the police officers of the Changsha County Public Security Bureau introduced the relevant case details to our newspaper.
Stealing an electric bike only takes 15 seconds
At around 10 o'clock on December 2nd, suspects Haijin He, Tianping He, Shaoting Luo, along with "Blackie" (at large) split up riding two motorcycles and arrived at the entrance of the Maternal and Child Health Hospital in Changsha County, searching for a target. Soon after, a young lady riding an electric bike came into their view.
After the young lady parked her bike and entered the hospital, the four quickly implemented the theft according to their pre-arranged division of labor. Two of them walked quickly to the electric bike and used homemade T-shaped tube tools and other criminal tools to pick the lock, while the other two kept watch nearby. Within 15 seconds, the lock was picked, and the two men immediately rode away on the electric bike. Subsequently, the two who were keeping watch also disappeared into the crowd.
Criminals identified through surveillance footage
At around 11 o'clock on December 3rd, a group of plainclothes prevention team members from the Xingsha police station discovered the whereabouts of the gang near the Xingsha post office building. The three suspects were seen lingering and looking around at various electric bike parking spots near banks, shopping centers, and supermarkets, looking for opportunities to commit crimes but were unsuccessful each time. At around 12 o'clock, the prevention team followed the three all the way to the McDonald's gas station on Xingsha Avenue, arresting the three during the refueling of their motorcycles. On-site searches revealed homemade T-shaped tube tools, cross screwdrivers, and other criminal tools on their persons.
It turned out that since October, there had been multiple cases of electric bike thefts in densely populated areas within the Xingsha urban area. Through reviewing the surveillance footage from the crime scenes, the criminal investigation officers of the Xingsha police station found that the figures of four similar-looking young people appeared repeatedly at several crime scenes, acting very suspiciously. In November, the station formed a plainclothes prevention team, conducting patrols and guard duties at different times based on the occurrences of previous electric bike theft cases. On December 3rd, the prevention team successfully dismantled this theft gang.
The "Sky Net" leaves no place for thieves to hide
Initially, suspect Haijin He only admitted to stealing an electric bike at the entrance of the Bubugao Supermarket on San Yi Road in Xingsha at around 4 PM on December 1st, together with Tianping He, Shaoting Luo, and "Blackie". Facing the overwhelming evidence from the surveillance footage, subsequently, the three suspects confessed to committing 12 thefts of electric bikes in various supermarkets, internet cafes, and bank premises in Xingsha, selling the vehicles for over 20,000 yuan in illicit proceeds. Currently, the three members of the electric bike theft gang have been criminally detained.
It is understood that this year, Changsha County has added more than 900 surveillance cameras on various main roads, key locations, and in 20 towns, weaving a "Sky Net" for monitoring social security, leaving no place for illegal activities to hide. The police remind electric bike owners to always park their bikes in designated areas where there are attendants and many vehicles, and to secure them with strong locks. Additionally, as the end of the year approaches, it is a high incidence period for theft activities, citizens should enhance their awareness of prevention to ensure the safety of life and property; if any illegal behavior is encountered, please report it promptly.