One suspected thief was arrested in the operation in Douala last Monday.

Men of the Mobile Intervention Unit in Bonanjo, Douala, acting on a tip-off on Monday November 21 recovered several motor bikes and their spares in the Bassa neighbourhood of the city at about 3 pm.

The suspected thieves and their accomplices, who ran garages and shops for dismounting stolen motor bikes and selling the spare parts, are said to have been terrorizing many bike owners and commuters at night; both in homes and out in the streets, police said.

Before the police stormed one of the garages Monday afternoon, the suspected thieves had already fled. However, a certain Ousmanou was caught red-handed working on a stolen bike. He admitted buying it, as usual, from robbers. After stealing, changes are made to the bikes before they are sold under fictitious names and receipts bearing, Etablissement Play Boy.

Meanwhile, Aboubakari, who also owns a garage nearby, has gone missing since the police raid. Police found receipts in his workshop showing that he sells bike engines and also repairs motorbikes, but the police suspect that he is part of the motor bike theft business.

In all, five motor bikes, 11 motor bike engines, 21 exhaust pipes, 9 seats, as well as several other parts, were discovered in the garage. The mechanics are accused of replacing motor bike parts to avoid detection.

So far, only one of the suspected thieves, Ousmanou, has been arrested. He is said to have told police that they sold a new engine at a give away price of FCFA 40,000. This encouraged many unsuspecting customers to patronize their shop. Ousmanou is now helping the police to track down his run away accomplices.