According to police, Chen Wen-sheng, 53, was spotted Tuesday near Sun Yet-sen Memorial Hall station by a police officer while in the process of using clippers to steal a bicycle. Chen then rode the bicycle across Taipei City to WanHua District, where he sold the bike for NT$200 to Liang Yi-chin, 68, the owner of an underground bike shop. The police caught both in the act.

Unexpectedly, a third accomplice was arrested that day at the shop. Wang Tseng-jian, 56, was arriving at the dealer's hiding place with another stolen bicycle when he came face to face with the police officers.

After searching the two-story premises, 46 stolen bicycles of all colors and sizes were gathered by police and transferred to Taipei First Police District. Yesterday, victims of theft began making their way to the local police station to check whether their bike was among those seized. Many left empty-handed, but a "Hello Kitty" bike was quickly reclaimed.

"My bicycle cost NT$3,800," exclaimed the middle-aged woman, surnamed Chen, who, after finishing the paperwork, could retake ownership of her bicycle. She was smiling, but a young person sitting beside her learned her bicycle was not in the batch.

"Dealers buy stolen bicycles for a song on the black market, before reselling them in other districts or cities," said Lu Mring-ching, police lieutenant at Taipei First Police District. "It is NT$200 for an old bike and up to NT$800 for a new one," he went on, noting that some thieves sell up to 100 stolen bicycles a month to their dealers.

"In case of a first offense, the criminal code stipulates that the convicted person will have to pay a fine of no more than NT$1,000," said Lu, who explained that "For a repeat offense, or if the amount of stolen bicycles is important, the condemned would receive a jail term of more than two years."

"The current law is too lenient with crooks," said Chang Hui-chung, owner of Colorful Cycle Co., Ltd, a bicycle reseller on RenAi Rd., in Taipei City.

"The city government must make further provisions against bicycle thieves," he said, suggesting the mayor reinstate a registration system for bicycles that was abolished 30 years ago.

"We should take the Nederland's example," he said, while he noted that carving serial numbers on bicycle parts is not enough to discourage thieves.

"Bicycles with registration plates would certainly help," he added.