Eight arrests in 'Bicycle Thief' operation

(ANSA) - Rome, October 22 - Eight people have been arrested in relation to the thefts of more than 200,000 euros' worth of high-end bikes in an extensive police operation dubbed 'The Bicycle Thief' in honor of the classic 1948 film by director Vittorio De Sica.
    The joint operation involving police in Milan and Monza tracked stolen bicycles from a series of daring robberies in the areas around Rome, Milan and Rimini, where a single shop yielded some 100,000 euros in costly equipment.
    Police say the alleged leaders included a 37-year-old Romanian and two Ukrainians, aged 32 and 39.
    Also arrested were four women and an Italian businessman, 51, who had a warehouse in Pavia where the high-prices bicycles landed among other stolen goods, including various types of sports equipment, perfumes, and clothing.
    Police said the thieves were professional, working as a team.
    They would strike at night, using a large van to smash through security barriers into sports stores where they would load up the best bicycles and disappear in minutes.
    It was not immediately clear if the stolen bicycles were destined for the Italian market or were to be sold abroad, and investigations are continuing.