Police catch man who stole jewelry by entering shop's vent

Police in Sichuan province have caught a man who stole more than $27,000 worth of jewelry by entering a shop's vent, despite his thorough preparation to evade surveillance and investigation.

The suspect, surnamed Liu, is in his 20s and had no criminal records. He had owed heavy debts accumulated from high-cost habits, according to police in Tianfu New Area of Meishan city.

Liu prepared for the theft for more than a month, visiting the site and designing routes into and out of the shop that could evade surveillance cameras. He also bought black jackets, balaclavas, backpacks and sunglasses to disguise himself.

On the day of the theft, Liu entered the shop through the vent and stole more than 100 pieces of golden rings, necklaces, pendants and jade bracelets. He cut off the video feed of the surveillance cameras as soon as he entered the premise, causing difficulties for the investigation.

Nevertheless, police were able to reconstruct the whole theft by canvassing the shop, studying the floor map and conducting interviews on nearby people. They eventually caught Liu on Sept 27 and found the stolen goods.

Liu confessed to the crimes after being caught. He has been criminally arrested, police said.

The police reminded owners and employees of the shops to check their safety measures and store valuable objects properly once they leave the shop after work.