A heroin addict who sold goods on the Internet for well below their value has been detained by police for allegedly stealing property worth 200,000 yuan (US$25,000) from 53 houses.

Zhou Zhigang, a former vendor from Jiangsu Province, was summoned after Internet users told Hongkou District police he had tried to sell a replica Rolex watch online last month.

Zhou was questioned on August 4 and confessed after police proved the watch had belonged to owner of an apartment on Liancheng Road that was burgled in late June.

Zhou allegedly told police he and his wife, who police would not identify, became addicted to heroin in late 2003. After using up their savings on the drug, they turned to burglary to sustain their habit. Police said Zhou only targeted ground-floor apartments that he could easily get in and out of.

Police have connected him to 53 burglaries, in Shanghai as well as in Jiangsu Province's Kunshan and Changshu cities. He came to the attention of police after Internet users tipped them off to a man who was selling valuable goods for low prices on popular auction Website www.taobao.com.

Once Zhou sold an authentic 24-carat-gold Swiss watch for only 110 yuan.

Police allege the property Zhou sold online adds up to nearly 80,000 yuan.

Police would try to track down the sold property and return it to its owners.