Man arrested after year-long plot to steal safe, escape by boat in Hangzhou

A man in eastern China's Zhejiang province has been placed under criminal detention after allegedly stealing a 50-kilogram safe from his former employer and making his getaway by boat, local police said Tuesday.

Police in the Xiaoshan district of Hangzhou received a report that a company's safe, containing 500,000 yuan ($70,300), had been stolen. Investigators found the company's surveillance system had been vandalized, and nearby road cameras offered no clues. The firm's proximity to a waterway led authorities to suspect the thief had fled by boat and might be someone familiar with the company's operations.

Police followed the riverbank and soon identified a small, suspicious boat. The investigation led them to a former employee, surnamed Sheng, who authorities said had spent a year planning the heist.

According to police, Sheng drove to Xiaoshan at night, parking his car several kilometers away to avoid detection. He then stole a boat, paddling for three hours to reach the company. Using keys to access the surveillance room, he disabled the cameras and made off with the safe.

Sheng reportedly rowed for another three hours before reaching the shore, after which he fled to his hometown in Jiangxi province. There, he hid the safe at a relative's home, authorities said.

Before he could break open the safe, police tracked him down and arrested him. Although Sheng initially denied the theft, he confessed after the safe was recovered.

The case is now under legal review.