A South Korean citizen has been detained for allegedly stealing more than 200,000 yuan (US$29,000) worth of cash and objects from office buildings in Chinese cities including Shanghai, police said yesterday.

Investigation started last month after five firms reported that safes in their offices in a building on Zhangyang Road, Pudong, were broken into overnight.

The identity of the suspect was quickly established, but he had returned to his country via Dalian before he could be arrested, police said.

But when he reentered China, again via Dalian, he was arrested in northeast Shenyang city this month.

The suspect allegedly owned up to committing more than 10 thefts in office buildings in Shanghai, Hangzhou and Beijing.

Pudong police said the suspect constantly flew in and out of China and traveled by high speed railway when in China to carry out his thefts.