Hong Kong police arrest debt-ridden man suspected of making off with more than HK$180,000 in audacious daylight robbery
- The 36-year-old unemployed man was intercepted by police outside a residential block in Tuen Mun on Thursday. He has not been charged
- Police said the suspect is believed to be in financial difficulty and had spent most of the money involved in the robbery to settle his debts
Hong Kong police have arrested a debt-ridden man who is believed to have broken into a money exchange shop with a hammer and made off with more than HK$180,000 (US$23,200) in an audacious daylight hold-up in Yuen Long last Saturday.
The 36-year-old man, who is unemployed, was intercepted by police outside a residential block in Tuen Mun at about 1.30pm on Thursday. In a follow-up search, officers seized some clothes and a pair of sports shoes inside his flat in the same building.
“After an initial investigation, we believe the man was in financial difficulty so he robbed the money changer,” Chief Inspector Auyeung Tak of the Yuen Long district crime squad said on Friday.
He said the suspect had spent most of the money involved in the robbery to settle his debts.
As of 3pm on Friday, the suspect was still being held for questioning and had not been charged.
The robbery happened soon after 5pm last Saturday when a masked man used a hammer to break open the metal gate of the money changer to gain access into the Castle Peak Road shop.
According to police, the man threatened staff with the hammer before stealing HK$160,000 along with 20,000 yuan (HK$22,400).