Police seized guns and bullets in a raid on a storage facility in Fo Tan yesterday, saying the operator's licence had expired and public safety was at stake.
The weapons were taken to police headquarters for inspection and to see if they matched the numbers stated on licences issued for them.
The quantities and types of the weapons seized were not yet known. The counting was in process last night and no one had been arrested.
Police said they would also investigate if the storage operator, who was missing, had been linked to any other crimes.
The storage facility, which had been licensed to keep arms and dangerous goods, was located on the ground floor of an industrial building at 2-9 Kwei Tei Street. Officers carrying a search warrant issued by a court arrived at the premises at about noon and cordoned it off. They filled a number of plastic boxes with guns and ammunition.
Police confirmed the operator of the storage facility had left Hong Kong and could not be reached.