Bus riders need to be alert against pickpockets if they find the bus door purposely blocked, with people pushing from behind, according to Yuan Guodong, a full-time pickpocket catcher who held two free lectures in Shenzhen at the weekend.

"If you find such a situation, you'd better not to shove in the crowd but wait for the next bus," Yuan told the audience.

According to him, the persons blocking the door, and the ones shoving from behind could be members of the same gang of pickpockets, coordinating the exercise.

The grass-roots hero from north China's Hebei Province, who claims to have caught 800 pickpockets around China over the past one and a half years, talked to Shenzheners about identifying and apprehending these criminals.

According to Yuan, while pickpockets are hard to identify, they can be spotted scanning the crowd, looking for easy targets. A person who drops a coin at the bus door and bends to pick it up might also be a thief, holding up other passengers while his accomplices commit theft.

Yuan, now 48, was a businessman in Hebei when he had a large sum of money stolen from him in Beijing in July 2004. Since then he has become a full-time pickpocket catcher and has traveled many cities to realize his dream of "a world without thieves."

The folk hero came to Shenzhen two weeks ago, and claims to have caught several pickpockets in the city. "I'll stay here for some time and continue my course. When there is no thief I can find in Shenzhen, I might leave and go to another city," said Yuan on Saturday.

At the lecture, Yuan also demonstrated how pickpockets should be caught and displayed his prowess as a long-time kung-fu exponent.

The lectures drew many Shenzheners, including security guards from various companies. Some of the guards even volunteered to be pickpocket catchers.

"We need to jointly create an atmosphere, which supports the righteous deeds and frightens thieves. Only in this way, the world can be a safe one without thieves," said Yuan.

(Shenzhen Daily February 20, 2006)