The criminal records of one of the two suspects, surnamed Kuo, 52, indicate he is a compulsive offender. Kuo and his accomplice, nicknamed “Ah Chi,” were apprehended on the night of Feb. 2, after they attempted to break into an empty house to steal something.

After the attempt was foiled, the two thieves asked the house owner not to send them to the police station, and immediately promised to compensate him for the broken windows.

When questioned by police, Kuo and Ah Chi confessed to having committed at least nine acts of theft in Yilan County since November 2007.

The two also said they “took action” on Saturdays or Sundays, and completed the round trip between Changhua and Yilan within one day, never spending the night in Yilan in order to reduce the possibility of being recognized and caught.

Although the minimum cost ran close to NT$3,000 per trip, including freeway toll fees and gas costs, the two suspects had enjoyed their stealing jobs, because they could earn at least NT$10,000 or even tens of thousands of New Taiwan dollars from each of the past nine successful cases. The two usually zeroed in on cash and jewelry.

Kuo, a taxi driver in Changhua, also told police they chose Yilan County as their theft destination mainly because of the relatively fewer surveillance monitors installed on streets and roads of that county, which made it difficult for police or witnesses to recognize them.

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