Israeli Police Recover Stolen E-Bikes for Sri Lankan Workers Using Suspect’s Unique Haircut

Last weekend, six teenagers on summer break allegedly stole two pairs of electric bicycles from Sri Lankan construction workers in northern Israel. The theft was reported on August 8 by a passerby to the police. The workers described how the teens initially asked to ride the bikes, and after some insistence, the workers agreed, expecting the bikes to be returned to the same address.

During the investigation, one worker recalled that one of the teens had a very distinctive haircut. This detail helped police identify and locate the suspect quickly. Youth detectives arrested the teenager on Sunday morning, who confessed and led them to the other five involved. All six suspects are students on summer vacation and were questioned on suspicion of theft.

One of the teens revealed that another had already sold the stolen bikes to a bike shop in Nazareth. Police recovered the bicycles just before they were sold. The shop owner, who paid 300 shekels per bike, is not suspected of any wrongdoing and claimed he was unaware the bikes were stolen.

Sergeant Major Ben Chen, head of the youth unit in the Emek region, expressed relief at returning the bikes to the foreign workers, emphasizing that the bikes are their only means of transportation and were purchased through hard work in Israel’s heat. He highlighted the police’s commitment to serving all residents, including foreign workers, and noted the effort to restore the country’s image after the damage caused by the teens.