Escape by Riding a Tree Boat to Avoid CCTV
Frustrated After Being Caught on Riverside Surveillance Camera
A Chinese man who planned a crime for a year targeting the 'safe' of his former company boss was arrested by the police in just 24 hours. He was caught while rowing a pre-prepared boat.
Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) highlighted a theft incident that occurred in Zhejiang Province, southeastern mainland China, on the 20th (local time). The incident happened earlier this month and was recently officially reported through local media.
The case began when a company located in Hangzhou City reported to the local police that 'property was stolen.' The large safe, where the company president Mr. A kept valuables worth 500,000 yuan (approximately 96.67 million KRW), had disappeared entirely.
The police who arrived at the scene faced difficulties from the first investigation, as all closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras inside the company building were damaged, and the perpetrator’s image was not recorded on any other CCTV cameras on the street. This meant the criminal was well acquainted with the building’s interior and surrounding geography.
At that moment, a detective focused on a CCTV camera located on the riverbank next to the company building. Analysis of the footage revealed that the night before the theft, a man was seen rowing a wooden boat heading somewhere.
The police judged that this thief was likely someone familiar with the company’s security system and conducted a thorough investigation of former employees. As a result, they identified a former employee named Sheng as the suspect. Sheng was living in his hometown in eastern Jiangxi Province, six hours away from Hangzhou. Eventually, Sheng was arrested by the police about 24 hours after the crime.
To avoid CCTV, Mr. Seong secretly docked a wooden boat on the riverbank and used it as an escape means. However, a sharp-eyed detective secured surveillance footage from the riverside cameras, leading to his frustration. [Image source: Chinese SNS Douyin capture]
Sheng confessed to the police that he had been employed at the company for the past year, targeting the boss’s safe. In particular, he put great effort into planning an escape route after stealing valuables from the safe. Initially, he considered disguising himself or quickly leaving the scene by car but hesitated, thinking he would be caught quickly.
Instead, he chose a boat docked on the riverbank as his escape method. He deliberately parked his car several kilometers away from the company, then rowed the pre-prepared boat for three hours to infiltrate the company, disable the security system, and steal the valuables. However, thanks to the sharp-eyed detective, his 'perfect crime' plan, which he had worked on for a year, was foiled in just 24 hours. The police reportedly found the boss’s safe at Sheng’s relative’s house.
As a result of this incident, Sheng is expected to receive a heavy sentence ranging from a minimum of 10 years to life imprisonment. The case also became a hot topic on Chinese social networking services (SNS) and online platforms. Local netizens commented, "He prepared for a year but ruined his life in one day," "It’s amazing he tried to steal such a large safe in a city full of surveillance cameras," and "He should have used a submarine instead."
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