Beijing police have announced plans to crack down on bicycle
theft by establishing a database of thieves.
Wang Xiaobing, an officer with Beijing Municipal Bureau of
Public Security, said bike theft was rampant in the city and the
database was needed.
"Citizens who buy stolen bicycles for the first time will
receive criticism and education," he said.
However, if they do it a second time, their action will be
regarded as "buying stolen goods" and they will receive public
security penalties including a warning, detention or even
re-education through labour.
Personal information such as names and photos will be recorded
in the database.
People who purchase large numbers of stolen bicycles will be
jailed for committing the crime of Buying Stolen Goods, according
to the Criminal Law.
Wang said the police launched a tough crackdown on bicycle theft
at the beginning of the year.
So far, 1,702 suspects have been seized or detained for stealing
or selling stolen bicycles, and 1,355 stolen bikes have been
confiscated.
Wang reminded citizens to observe the law and not buy stolen
bikes.
Chen Xinliang, a law professor with Peking University, said it
is illegal to purchase stolen goods. "People will be punished
according to the Law on Public Security Administration Punishments
or the Criminal Law, depending on the nature of their offences," he
said.
Beijing police on Monday announced that they had cracked the
biggest bike criminal gang in recent years.
The police caught 56 suspects and confiscated 172 stolen
bicycles. Most of the thieves were from Jianli in Hubei
Province.
They stole bicycles in the city's downtown area and then sold
them in a second-hand market in Haidian District's Tiancun at 40
yuan (US$5) for an ordinary bike and 200 yuan (US$25) for an
electric one.
(China Daily July 26, 2006)