Chinese man also amassed 185 worn panties and 102 other pieces of clothing in his three-year spree, enough for police to launch a criminal case

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Police have nabbed an underwear thief in the eastern Chinese city of Liyang, after he was found to have stashed more than 285 worn bras and 185 worn panties in his van, according to local media reports.

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The 32-year-old lingerie thief was caught in September with the haul of underwear as well as 102 other items of clothing in a routine check on a suspicious van.

According to local police, the thief reportedly used a custom-made tool similar to a fishing rod to steal the undergarments.

The haul of unmentionables takes up the space of half a basketball court when laid out together. Police said the amount of stolen items was sufficient for a criminal case to be launched.

People's Daily,China (@PDChina) A 32-year-old lingerie thief caught in E China was found with 285 worn bras & 185 worn panties in his van on Sept 19 pic.twitter.com/3GsSQV8Gq4

The man confessed that his crime spree had not been brief, but had been stealing the items of clothing over a three-year period.

He told police that he started stealing only a few items at first but soon became unable to control himself, stealing the clothes more frequently.

Police said they will seek psychological help for the man. He is the latest in a string of Chinese men to hit the headlines after stealing lingerie.

In late 2014, a Guangxi man was arrested for stealing more than 2,000 sets of women’s underwear from his neighbours over the course of a year.

Additional reporting by Amber Ziye Wang