Beijing police arrest 14 for alleged theft of laptops, phones

Beijing police cracked a case in which a gang of 14 people allegedly stole laptops and mobile phones in the city and neighboring Hebei province, the municipal public security bureau said on Friday.

All suspects have been criminally detained for the alleged theft, and the police have seized 726 mobile phones, 10 laptops as well as some cameras and watches, according to the release.

The police noticed the gang, led by a 49-year-old woman who was identified as Li from Gucheng county of Hebei, in December last year, and arrested all of them respectively on April 19 and 20, it said.

The suspects had a clear division of duties. Some were responsible for stealing, and some were in charge of the disposal of the stolen goods, the release said.

Now, the bureau has helped more than 400 residents verify their stolen mobile phones after receiving their reports, and the case is under further investigation, according to the police.