Operation Laptop Retrieval
OPERATION LAPTOP RETRIEVAL
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- The guy
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The guy above took my laptop from the bar 12SQM on the Nanluoguxiang strip in Beijing around midnight last Wednesday, August 17, 2011. With this post, I am seeking help in finding him and, in turn, my computer.* If you have info re his identity, please let me know. Any action beyond that should be left up to the proper authorities. Some details:
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12SQM security video shows the guy arriving on a scooter, entering the bar empty-handed and leaving with my black laptop-sized bag.
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Police security video from a street camera opposite the bar also shows the guy pulling up empty-handed and leaving with the bag.
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The guy wore a red football shirt with white shoulder stripes and the word “China“ — “中国” — in Chinese characters on the chest. (Several people said it looked similar to a Spanish national shirt.) He wore knee-length shorts and sandals.
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The bag contained a Dell laptop with black casing and a metalic design (example here), Dell power chord, small umbrella, phone recharger, pocket book on wine and ~50 business cards, among other items. It had a shoulder strap and the words “Austrian wine” on the front.
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The scooter is white, electric, looks fairly new, and has an elevated white pannier / storage case at the back. It is not a Vesper but has something of that look.
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Police video shows that the guy drove north with the black bag on Nanluoguxiang. He can be tracked, security camera by security camera, until just after Salud. The police have suggested I return to the station with the bar’s security camera video to further this case. I will do so and see if we can track him further and/or track his route to the bar. I also asked the manager at Salud to check that bar’s security cam from Wednesday night. He says that he spotted no one who fits the photo above.
- The guy on a bike
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If you know his identity of this guy, or have clues as to his whereabouts, please contact me at beijingboyce (at) yahoo.com.
Last but not least, many thanks to those who have re-tweeted my post about the missing laptop, to those who have sent me messages re ideas of who this guy might be and possible sightings, and to those who have offered their support, including the guys at The Beijinger. Special thanks to 12SQM and Mao Mao Chong for help with the videos and dealing with the local police and to 8 Songs for the loan of a laptop.
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* I also hope my case encourages people to back up their data and to vigilant when it comes to protecting their posessions. It is no small irony that I was the guy who wrote this post on theft in Sanlitun a few months back.
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here’s to still hoping the douchebag gets caught!
I know that its probably impossible to tell. But is there any way anyone can id the make of the bike? I’m in Gulou alot, but there are way too many bikes that look like that. Narrowing it down to at least a brand could help alot.
Also, you said he could be see going until just after Salud. Did he appear to keep going north, or turn at the intersection?
This is important because I think that from 12sqm to Salud, he had enough time to calm down (assuming he was nervous) and start thinking rationally about a direction to go.
I know this detail seems minute, but every detail matters.
Yes, I am in the middle of season 2 of “The Wire” so i’m kind of on an investigative high right now.
Hi Matt,
He appeared to be going north but he easily could have turned into a hutong, stopped or done a U-turn. I will try and ID the scooter brand.
And you’re right. Details do matter. If it helps, here are a few more:
- The guy asked for “Campari or something Italian” — Campari is Italian — and ended up ordering a Campari Soda.
- The guy stayed for about 40 minutes.
- The guy looked tired and/or slightly inebriated. He reclined on the sofa for a while after he entered.
Cheers, Boyce
Wow, with all these details you should be able to find him! There are so many cameras in BJ… I wonder how many days it will take!
Any updates on the computer hunt? Did extended video lead you to any new clues?
Also, I wonder if the folks at El Nido might know him? Similar vibe, often has slightly intoxicated folks coming in but small enough where Xiao Shuai might recognize him.
I hear the murderer from Nanjing is a master in disguise. Could this be him?
Go to weliveinbeijing.com or bjstuff.com and start searching users demographically.