Schwinns. Cannondales. Novaras. Mongooses (Mongeese?) Specializeds. Windsors. Cervelos. Scotts. Diamondbacks. Mountain bikes. Road bikes. Commuter bikes.
They were all purchased for pennies on the dollar in the Oliver’s Twist sting operation set up by the Seattle police department.
The phony fencing operation scored more than 900 stolen items over the 11-month period it operated out of a location in the city’s Georgetown neighborhood.
Of that haul, thieves brought in 76 bicycles for resale; at least one with a cable lock still looped around the frame. Police also recovered guns, cars, boats, scuba equipment, watches, generators, you name it.
Recovering your property
Nearly 500 photos of stolen items, including the bicycles, are posted online at the Seattle Police Department flickr.com website.
According to the city’s press release:
“Property crime victims in the Greater Seattle/King County area may view photographs of the evidence recovered during this operation. Victims must be able to identify any property they believe belongs to them and must have reported it missing to law enforcement prior to March 5, 2012.
“Victims should call (206) 733-9616 to talk to a detective or to leave a message for a detective to return their call. Callers must have a police case number with them at the time they phone detectives. Please note that the items posted are the only items that were recovered during the operation and there is no other property to view. …”
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