Christchurch Police are asking people to be vigilant when looking to buy bicycles online, after a number of bike thefts over the past few weeks.

Two people responsible for a large number of the thefts have been arrested, and other thefts are being actively investigated.

The majority of these stolen bikes are being sold via Facebook Marketplace.

Detective Senior Sergeant Damon Wells said “We’d recommend you purchase from authentic sellers and genuine retailers, and websites based in New Zealand.”

”If you’re purchasing from an individual, we suggest you request proof of ownership, or perhaps some form of ID.”

”If the seller is not able to or refuses to provide these, it’s possible the item may be stolen. Generally speaking, if the deal is too good to be true, it often is.”

If you own a bike, you can record the serial number, keep a copy safe, and upload to www.snap.org.nz