Hong Kong police foil dramatic robbery attempt caught on CCTV


A general view of a shopping mall in Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong, China. Robbers rushed into a watch and jewellery shop in Tsim Tsa Tsui but were quickly apprehended by police who showed up about 20 seconds into the robbery. — Reuters

HONG KONG: Hong Kong police arrested five men who were attempting to rob a jewellery shop, with dramatic footage showing the masked assailants wielding machetes and sledgehammers in the store.

The attempted daytime robbery took place in the bustling Tsim Sha Tsui shopping district on Tuesday, when the five men were shown on CCTV footage alighting from a white car.

They rushed into a watch and jewellery shop and started smashing display windows, as employees appeared to stand by.

Less than 20 seconds later according to the footage, plain clothes police officers rushed in with guns drawn, stunning the group who discarded their weapons and dropped to the floor.

Police superintendent Gar Kam-lam said criminal investigators had been collecting intelligence, and knew that luxury goods stores around Tsim Sha Tsui were a frequent target for robberies.

"Officers saw the men enter the store with machetes and hammers, so officers went into the store and successfully subdued them," he said during a press briefing.

The five arrested were aged between 23 and 36 years old, with only one of them holding a Hong Kong ID card.

Two others held recognisance forms, which which allow them to stay in the city but bar them from working, while the remaining two are suspected to be illegal entrants, said Gar. – AFP

Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel for breaking news alerts and key updates!

   

Next In Tech News

Apple is trying to sell loyal iPhone users on AI tools. Here's what Apple Intelligence can do
Looking for new activities? Google wants you to turn to its navigation app
Will LinkedIn's AI HR assistant select the right candidates?
Staring at gadgets while in bed? You may get cross-eyed, warn experts
Voting rights groups worry AI models are generating inaccurate and misleading responses in Spanish
Nvidia to take Intel's spot on Dow Jones Industrial Average
U.S. regulators raise questions about siting data centers at power plants
Exclusive-Walt Disney forms business unit to coordinate use of AI, augmented reality
Crypto ETFs see big inflows ahead of U.S. election, traders brace for volatility
Apple to invest up to $1.5 billion in Globalstar for satellite coverage expansion

Others Also Read