Hong Kong protests: former pro-independence group member pleads guilty to possessing 1kg of high explosives, faces 20 years’ jail

Prosecutors draw parallel with notorious criminal Yip Kai-foon, caught with 2kg of TNT in 1997, but defence argues the materials held by 29-year-old Louis Lo were less dangerous

The raid on premises rented by the former Hong Kong National Front member also uncovered 10 petrol bombs and a large amount of protest paraphernalia

Reading Time:2 minutes

Louis Lo, shown arriving for an earlier bail hearing, pleaded guilty to keeping explosives with intent to endanger life or property on Friday. Photo: Sam Tsang

Published: 4:29pm, 9 Apr 2021Updated: 4:50pm, 9 Apr 2021

A former pro-independence group member arrested over Hong Kong’s biggest explosives seizure in two decades has confessed to hiding 1kg of the deadly materials in an industrial building in the early days of 2019’s anti-government protests.

Louis Lo Yat-sun faces up to 20 years in prison following his guilty plea at the High Court on Friday on a count of keeping explosives with intent to endanger life or property.

Judge Andrew Chan Hing-wai postponed sentencing to April 23 pending a prosecution expert report on the potency of the explosives. Lo, who has been remanded since July 2019, will remain in custody.

Police display a cache of explosives, protest gear and pro-independence materials seized during a raid of the premises rented by defendant Louis Lo. Photo: Felix Wong

The unemployed 29-year-old was a member of the Hong Kong National Front (HKNF) until the group was dissolved in June 2020, just ahead of the promulgation of the Beijing-imposed national security law.

He was the first defendant to plead guilty to charges arising from the 2019 unrest at the High Court, where no sentencing cap applies. His offence is punishable by 20 years imprisonment under the Crimes Ordinance.

The prosecution said Lo had stored around 1kg of triacetone triperoxide, also known as TATP, in multiple batches inside a rented studio in Lung Shing Factory Building in Tsuen Wan, discovered during a police raid on July 19, 2019.

Police also found 10 petrol bombs, materials used to promote Hong Kong independence, and large amounts of protest paraphernalia such as helmets, masks and body shields.