Man Steals Eight Cars Across China to Avoid Expensive Return Flight

In a case that could easily be mistaken for a plot from a fast-paced crime drama, a man in China allegedly traded a plane ticket for a cross-country car theft spree. CNBC AI News has learned that the suspect, after balking at the cost of a return flight, embarked on a series of vehicle thefts across multiple provinces.

The bizarre saga began in early June. It all started when employees at a Wuhan car dealership discovered that several keys and a car – valued at over $20,000 – had gone missing.

Authorities, tracing the stolen vehicle through surveillance footage, initially tracked it to Zhumadian, Henan province. However, upon locating the car, the suspect had vanished.

Further investigation revealed a pattern: the suspect had allegedly stolen another vehicle in Zhumadian before heading towards Zhengzhou, setting off a chain of events that kept the police occupied for multiple days. Local law enforcement authorities quickly informed the investigating officer that there was another vehicle theft.

The alleged crime spree then continued. The suspect would steal one car after the other, switching from one stolen vehicle to another. On another occasion, the suspect was allegedly discovered in the act of stealing a car and wounded the owner before making his escape.

The authorities finally caught up with the suspect on June 4, arresting him while he slept in a car. The suspect, identified as a man named Chen, told investigators that he was en route back to Dalian. He had been in Changsha and purchased plane tickets costing about $200 but decided to cancel the trip due to the high cost of the tickets.

Chen then allegedly exploited the lax security at some dealerships to fulfill his desire. He is said to have stolen eight vehicles in total. He is also said to have used the cars for transportation, funding his journey with whatever money was left in the vehicles before abandoning them when they ran out of fuel and then starting from scratch.

All the stolen vehicles have been recovered. Charges are pending against Chen, and the case is still active.