Plot to extort cash from bike thief fails

Three men were sentenced to more than two years in prison and fined 1,000 yuan ($160) each for attempting to extort money from a thief, Beijing Times reported on Friday. The thief stole their motorcycle but was caught at the scene by the three, who demanded that he buy the motorcycle for 14,000 yuan, three times its actual value. The would-be thief handed them 3,500 yuan and called the police when they refused it.