Were caught or are caught?

When do we use ‘were caught’ and ‘are caught’? The former is under past perfect tense while the latter falls under present perfect tense. Now the emphasis is on the timing. ‘Were caught’ is used to describe an event which has happened in the past and will not recur. Meanwhile, ‘are caught’ is used to describe the situation, say when a group of thieves are already apprehended, in the present to inform others the thieves are still in custody.