Man Who Stole Bicycle Gets Handcuffed After Trying a 'Cool Deal'

Police Disguise Themselves as Buyers for Swift Arrest

A man who stole a bicycle from an apartment complex was caught by the police just 1 hour and 30 minutes after the crime. This was because he listed the stolen bicycle for sale on a secondhand trading platform. The police were able to catch him more quickly by posing as a buyer on the platform and arranging a meeting.

A man, Mr. A, is stealing a bicycle in the bicycle parking lot within an apartment complex.
[Image source=Captured from the National Police Agency YouTube]

On the 16th, the National Police Agency's YouTube channel uploaded a video titled "The door opens, the police come in~ At first sight, I knew it was over." In the video, man A is seen staring intently at bicycles in the apartment complex's bicycle parking lot, then looking around before carrying away a bicycle with a locked wheel.

The victim who had their bicycle stolen reported it to the police. Additionally, a tipster who found a post selling the stolen bicycle on the secondhand trading platform with the message "Cool transaction wanted" also reported this to the police. Upon learning this, the police pretended to be a buyer in the trading post and contacted A. They expressed interest in purchasing and arranged a meeting place and time.

The police lay in wait at the elevator on the first floor of the apartment where A lived, and as soon as the elevator doors opened, A came face to face with the police. At first, he claimed the bicycle was his. However, when the officers asked where he bought the bicycle and if he was indeed selling it on the secondhand platform, A did not respond. Then, when an officer said, "We confirmed on CCTV that you took someone else's bicycle," A finally admitted to the crime. Thanks to the joint operation between the tipster and the police, the suspect was caught just 1 hour and 30 minutes after the report was made.

In March, there was a similar case with the same method of crime. Two teenagers stole two bicycles that were parked on a sidewalk in Dong-gu, Daegu, and posted them for sale on a secondhand trading platform. At that time, the police also discovered the sales post and arrested them by posing as buyers.