Thief dismantles A/C units in China to sell them during heatwave

The summer heat in China has led a man to commit an unusual series of thefts that took some handy skills to complete - he dismantled more than 20 air conditioners, tried to sell them, and was detained in the central Chinese city of Changsha.

Local media reported on Tuesday, citing police, that the thief was caught in mid-July. He had dismantled and taken both the indoor units and outdoor modules of the air conditioners from unsupervised locations, mainly shops.

He later offered them for sale. A video shows him dismantling an air conditioning module from a house wall at night and transporting it away on his scooter.

Large parts of China are repeatedly hit by persistent heatwaves during the summer months. It is quite common for many homes, offices and shops to be equipped with several air conditioning units.

The People's Republic is not only facing high temperatures. There has been heavy rainfall throughout the summer, which has led to both flash and regular flooding with fatalities in many places.