// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
E-bike crime crackdown leads to 187 arrests
Watch: More than 185 arrested in Met crackdown on robbery and theft in central London
The Metropolitan Police has arrested 187 people and seized 157 vehicles as part of a crackdown on prolific thieves using e-bikes and mopeds in Westminster.
The arrests were for a variety of offences including possession of dangerous weapons, drug-related crimes, robbery and theft.
The force said plain-clothed and uniformed officers carried out patrols in hotspot areas and stopped offenders known to police. The operations ran from February to July.
Det Supt Gareth Gilbert, who led the operation, said officers were "staying one step ahead of the criminals who use high-powered bikes or mopeds to steal from Londoners".
The Met said e-bike-related crime fell by 22% during the operation in key transport and tourist hubs in Southwark and Lambeth, including Waterloo and London Bridge.
The Sur-Ron bikes are being used in several inner London boroughs
Footage released by the Met shows officers using high-powered Sur-Ron e-bikes to pursue suspects who were trying to evade police.
The force has recently expended its fleet of these bikes from five to 25.
Gilbert added: "By disrupting this criminality and making hundreds of arrests, we're making London a safer place to live, work and visit.