BEIJING, July 23 (Xinhua) -- Beijing police have caught 24 suspected thieves who targeted tourists viewing the daily flag-raising ceremony in Tian'anmen Square, the heart of Beijing.
Police received reports from several tourists who claimed that their property was stolen while watching the flag-raising ceremony, a popular patriotic and tourist activity in China.
One such case occurred in early July when a tourist surnamed Xiang lost 13,000 yuan (around 2,000 U.S. dollars) in cash. Xiang said that he felt someone in the crowd push against him after he and his family had watched the ceremony.
According to surveillance videos, more than 10 suspects were involved in Xiang's case.
Police found that an over 20-member gang had worked together to steal various items from flag-raising ceremony viewers near the square since May.
Each member had a specific role, such as brushing against the target in the crowd, stealing mobile phones or wallets, or transferring the stolen goods to another gang member.
After a month-long investigation, more than 100 plain clothes officers launched an operation and caught 24 suspects.
