Hong Kong theft cases jump by nearly 40 per cent in first 4 months of the year, with police linking surge to return to normality
- Chief Inspector Choi Wing-yuk says Mong Kok is hotspot for thefts, pointing to ‘high foot traffic’ in area
- Police record 7,167 theft cases and 27,911 crimes in total between January and April
Theft cases in Hong Kong rose by nearly 40 per cent in the first four months of the year over the same period in 2022, with police attributing the surge to the city’s return to post-Covid normality.
Most of the latest thefts took place in Mong Kok, which Chief Inspector Choi Wing-yuk of the crime prevention bureau said was not surprising “given the high foot traffic in the area”.
The force recorded 7,167 thefts between January and April, an increase of 39.4 per cent over the year before.
“As society returns to normal, we are seeing more people on the streets in general,” Choi said.
Hong Kong dropped the last of its Covid-19 travel restrictions and social-distancing rules earlier this year after remaining largely closed off since 2020.
According to the force, the city recorded 27,911 total crimes in the first four months of the year, up 44 per cent from the 19,379 recorded the year before.
