3 men arrested in New Taipei for allegedly robbing tourists

New Taipei, Sept. 16 (CNA) Three men have been arrested on suspicion of stealing from tourists in Taiwan, according to New Taipei police.

The suspects were caught on Saturday last week during police patrols on Jiufen Old Street in New Taipei, a popular tourist attraction, the Ruifang Police Precinct said in a news release on Monday.

At some point, one of the suspected pickpockets seemed to realize that the police were onto him, and he signaled to the other two men to flee, according to the news release.

The police, however, moved quickly and apprehended the three men, who are all foreign nationals, the precinct said.

One of the suspects was later identified by a pickpocket victim who had been assisting the police in an investigation, the precinct said, adding that the suspect has been handed over to the Keelung District Prosecutors Office for further investigation.

The two other suspects who were arrested are being investigated, the police said, without providing any further details.

New Taipei police have stepped up patrols in the wake of a notice published on the website of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association in Taipei, which warned visiting Japanese tourists to be on the alert for pickpockets.

The notice warned specifically about popular tourist sites such as night markets, Jiufen, Yongkang Street, and areas near Taipei Zhongshan MRT Station.