擒贼先擒王

擒贼先擒王 [qín zéi xiān qín wáng]

1. ■ capture the ringleader first in order to capture all his followers; Before you can get rid of the petty criminals you must catch their boss.; Destroy the leader and the gang will collapse.; To catch a snake by the head is good advice.; In capturing rebels it is necessary to capture their leaders.; In order to round up bandits, one must catch their ringleader first.; To catch bandits, first catch the ring leader.