Police in the United Kingdom surprised a pair of moped riders in Manchester earlier this year, thanks to some very sneaky, undercover officers.
Dashcam footage depicts two moped riders, and one passenger, riding dangerously on local roads. As they pull up at a red light and begin to converse, a pair of police officers riding unmarked motorcycles and plain clothes come into view, cutting off the moped riders before they can make a hasty escape.
One of the moped riders immediately jumps from his scooter and runs to the other side of the ride. Despite being requested to return to the scene by a marked police officer on a motorbike, the man fails to return and the officer gives chase.
We bet this was a rude surprise for the moped riders.
It remains to be seen if the moped riders were stopped solely because of how they were riding or if the officers suspected they were thieves.
Nonetheless, the emergence of the footage has prompted calls from people across the UK, particularly in London, that the police should use similar tactics to stop scooter and motorcycle thiefs in the nation’s capital.
In recent years, there have been dozens of cases of ruthless thugs riding mopeds throughout London. They frequently pull up next to motorcylists at traffic lights, threaten them, and steal their bikes.
The Daily Mail reports that London police dealt with 430 crimes using mopeds per week during the year from June 2016 to June 2017. Many of the thiefs often wear masks to conceal their identities.