Police are investigating a series of reported robberies linked with bikes for sale on Facebook Marketplace.
Two 17-year-old boys were arrested on suspicion of robbery and public order offences, in early morning warrants in Longsight and Levenshulme on Sunday.
Officers have been investigating reports of three separate incidents in the South Manchester area between Friday, December 20, 2024 and Tuesday, January 21, 2025, where members of the public had arranged to meet up with online sellers claiming to have a bicycle for sale.
On each of these occasions, instead, the victims reported being assaulted. One of these victims received serious injuries requiring hospital treatment.
Police are advising those buying items online from strangers, to be vigilant and take steps to ensure their safety, such as meeting in public places or taking someone with them.
Sergeant Jonathan Lobley said: “The arrests this morning are a positive step forward in our investigations into these incidents.
“Facebook Marketplace and other online reselling platforms are used extremely regularly with no incident. It is concerning to hear that in these cases, men trying to legitimately purchase bikes have been preyed upon, assaulted and robbed for no reason.
“Despite progress being made in our investigation, I would still encourage anyone who believes they have been a victim or witnessed something similar, or knows of anyone putting up fake ads online with the purpose of committing offences against innocent members of the public, to contact us on 101.”
