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Man Arrested In China After Stealing R$ 760 Thousand In Cars During Trip. He Avoided Paying For Transportation By Using Stolen Vehicles And Selling Items To Cover Expenses.
Avoiding paying for transportation may seem like a financial decision, but for Mr. Chen, a Chinese citizen, this choice led him down a path of significant criminal activity. The man traveled over a thousand kilometers in China, using stolen vehicles to make his way back to his hometown in Liaoning province.
The story caught attention due to its audacity and the makeshift methods involving thefts, resale of items, and use of abandoned cars.
More than just an isolated case, the incident exposed security flaws and raised alarms among authorities and automotive dealerships in the country.
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Bold Strategy: From Flight Attempt To Series Of Thefts
Before embarking on his criminal journey, Mr. Chen had actually purchased a plane ticket.
However, shortly after the payment, he canceled the ticket and requested a refund. Lacking legal means to continue his trip, he decided to proceed by using other people’s vehicles—without authorization.
The plan was simple. He would break into dealerships at night, choose vehicles with full tanks, and use rudimentary techniques to start the cars, especially older models. After running out of fuel, he would abandon the vehicle and move on to the next.
During the journey, Chen also collected valuable items found inside the cars. He sold these items to cover food costs, pay tolls, and continue traveling without raising suspicions.
The Trail Left By The 1,120 Km Journey In Stolen Cars
The journey lasted several days and totaled 1,120 km—a distance sufficient to cover about 13 hours on the road. In total, eight different cars were used, all obtained illegally.
The thefts occurred in succession, always taking advantage of gaps in the surveillance systems of dealerships and poorly monitored locations.
In one instance, a theft attempt ended in a physical confrontation. A car owner caught Chen in the act and tried to prevent the crime, resulting in an episode of aggression.
This was one of the factors that helped the police track down the suspect.
Arrest Followed Alerts From Dealerships And Police Investigation
On June 2, one of the affected establishments noticed the disappearance of a vehicle valued at around R$ 108 thousand and notified the authorities.
From there, other similar cases began to be reported, raising suspicions of potential serial activity.
Two days later, on June 4, police officers found Chen sleeping inside one of the stolen cars in a parking lot. The arrest was made on the spot.
The suspect’s intention was to cover 2,100 km to reach his final destination, but the plan was interrupted before that.
Million-Dollar Loss And Security Alert In The Chinese Automotive Sector
The damage caused by Mr. Chen exceeded R$ 760 thousand in stolen vehicles, all located and recovered by the police.
Besides the material loss, the case highlighted vulnerabilities in the security systems of automobile dealers.
The national repercussion was significant. In addition to the criminal ingenuity involved, the episode sparked a debate about the fragility of protective structures in vehicle sales and storage locations.
There were also questions about road monitoring and the ability to prevent crimes in urban and rural areas of China.
With information from the website AutoPapo
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