A 53-year-old Gambian has been taken into custody by the Lausanne police following his arrest on suspicion of attempting to ship 56 stolen bicycles and two thieved electric scooters to The Gambia.
The Vaud cantonal police said on Monday that there was a more elaborate case behind the alert received by the Lausanne police that two men were seen in the centre of the city, loading a delivery van with bicycles.
The cantonal police said an initial on-site inspection showed that two of the bikes were reportedly stolen.
Meanwhile following this discovery, the investigating authorities widened the scope of their investigation and reportedly discovered that 56 bicycles and two electric scooters; all stolen were among 194 bicycles in a container that should have been shipped to The Gambia.
The total value of the bicycles is estimated at CHF 110,000 francs.
Pro Velo Schweiz revealed that around 35,000 bicycles are reportedly stolen in Switzerland every year, attributing the increase in the value of stolen goods to the boom in the significantly more costly e-bikes.
