A woman in China who stole luxury goods worth 1 million yuan (approximately $138,000) from her best friend's house and replaced them with dupes has been jailed for 12 years. South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the woman, surnamed Liu, had a key to her friend's house, surnamed Cao, from where she stole high-end goods worth 940,000 yuan in a span of three years.
Ms Liu and Ms Cao had known each other for years and they had developed a relationship in which they could talk about everything. According to SCMP, the thieving spree started in 2019 when Ms Cao bought a new house in Changchun. As she was away most of the time, she handed a key to Liu to oversee renovations.
The prosecutor in charge of the case reportedly said that Ms Liu was experiencing financial difficulties in 2019. As a result, she stole nearly 20 luxury items from her friend's new house, including Hermes and Louis Vuitton handbags, Bulgari bracelets and various branded-clothing items. Ms Liu then bought dupes online and replaced the luxury goods with them.
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In 2022, Ms Cao somehow discovered the theft and reported it to the police. As per the outlet, prosecutors said that even after she reported to the authorities, Ms Cao believed her friend was not the culprit for a lengthy period. They also stated that Ms Liu misled the police investigation.
The police then identified the suspect and were about to make an arrest. Investigators did not tell Ms Cao that the suspect was her friend and shared the "good news" with Ms Liu. it was then that Ms Liu came clean to her best friend and begged for her forgiveness which Ms Coa refused to give.
In 2022, the local court in Jilin province sentenced Ms Liu to 12 years in prison. According to Chinese criminal law, a theft exceeding 3,00,000 yuan is punishable by more than 10 years imprisonment. As Ms Liu misled the investigation, she got a prolonged sentence.
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