Gang of 21 Pickpockets Nabbed Outside Gongti Xilu Club Strip
A gang of 21 pickpockets operating outside the strip of nightclubs on Gongti Xilu was busted early Saturday morning, according to Chaoyang Police.
The pickpocket ring was identified after a five-night operation to gather evidence that cumulated in a raid at 3am early Saturday morning by officers from the Sanlitun Police Station, just as fleets of drunken patrons were leaving the strip of clubs.
A WeChat post by Ping’an Beijing showed the suspects handcuffed and face down on the sidewalk in front of the strip.
Long a center of late-late-late night dancing and carousing, the strip features popular dance clubs such as Elements, Lantern, Sir Teen, One Third, Coco Banana, LIV, Circle Club, and Cargo, as well as a smattering of restaurants and bars such as Bellagio and the newest branch of Heaven Supermarket.
Many drunken patrons have stumbled out of these clubs and later realized they were missing valuables such as cell phones and wallets. The police described how teams of two or three members worked together to steal items, a common tactic among pickpockets that involves one person actually stealing the item before passing it off so as to cause confusion and minimize the chances of being caught.
At present, the group of 21 people has been criminally detained by the Chaoyang Police and the case is under further investigation.
Punishments for pickpocketing in China depend on the monetary value of what is stolen. For example, current guidelines state that a thief will be either jailed for six months or fined an undisclosed amount for stealing money or goods worth RMB 1,000-2,500, jailed six months to one year for RMB 2,500-4,000, or one to two years for RMB 4,000-7,000, and so on.
The incident comes as a reminder that despite how safe Beijing is considered overall, it pays to keep your wits about you, especially when making your way through some of the city's more crowded or less salubrious areas.
READ: 15 Beijing Highschoolers Busted After Slew of Sanlitun Knifepoint Robberies
Images: Ping'an Chaoyang
