A police sergeant in Tokyo is being investigated after four other officers filed complaints against his handling of a serial bike theft case.

According to police, in an effort to nab the person stealing bikes in Tokyo's Ota Ward, the 51-year-old Denenchofu police station sergeant took it upon himself to take an abandoned bike and plant it in an area where a potential thief might easily be able to steal it, TBS reported. There, he would camp out hidden from sight, hoping to catch a glimpse of the bike thief.

However, despite having camped out on nine different occasions, the police sergeant did not make a single arrest or uncover a single lead. Furthermore, during the time of his stakeout, three more bicycles were stolen in the area.

The police sergeant, who stepped down from his post on Friday, said he felt he had to do something because the ongoing police investigation into a series of bike thefts had not turned up any leads.

The sergeant's subordinate officer also received a strict warning for having taken part in the incident.

© Japan Today