Beijing police have arrested three suspects who allegedly committed a series of motorbike robberies in Fangshan district, said a press release from Beijing Public Security Bureau (PSB) Wednesday.

The trio, who have been detained, are suspected of being involved in five motorbike robberies in the district since July.

Two suspects, surnamed Zhao, 32 and Xiao, 28, who committed the thefts, come from Zhuozhou, Hebei Province. The other suspect, surnamed Cui, 32, from Heilongjiang Province was responsible for fencing the stolen goods. They were all arrested in Hebei on August 30, said the release.

"Police are investigating whether they are connected to other cases in Fangshan," PSB media officer Zi Xiangdong told the Global Times.

Motorbike robbers usually target victims walking along quiet streets, and often choose women riding or walking alone and wearing gold necklaces or earrings, the release noted.

Jiang Fan, 29, a Beijing resident, said that she had heard from friends that there are motorbike robbers in the city who ripped pedestrians' gold earrings from their earlobes.

"I always advise my mother not to wear gold jewelry when she goes outside," she said.

A police officer, surnamed Han, from Fangshan district PSB, said it has increased night patrols to further crack down on motorbike robberies.

"Residents should also raise their awareness, and not do things like walking alone at night," she said.

Fangshan is not the only district suffering from motorbike robberies.

Su Mangmang, 27, a Beijing resident, told the Global Times that three masked motorbike robbers on two motorbikes drove up to her and her friend when they were waiting for a taxi in Guomao, Chaoyang district at about 10 pm on July 6.

"The two drivers trapped us between them, trying to take our handbags. But we held the bags firmly so they didn't get them," she said.

On July 17, a Moroccan woman was robbed by two motorbike thieves at around 7 pm when she was walking near the Hujialou area in Chaoyang district. The suspects allegedly snatched her handbag containing her passport.