Four nabbed for stealing bank cards from mailboxes
Four members of a crime syndicate, including its leader who has a triad background, were arrested on Tuesday evening for stealing bank cards.
The two men and two women aged between 18 and 39 are suspected of intercepting letters containing bank cards and personal data, and using the cards to withdraw cash and shop online.
In a raid on a rented unit at Mok Cheong Street, Kowloon, police seized 43 credit and ATM cards, 2,000 letters, four laptops, two card decoders, HK$60,000 in cash, as well as some weapons and drugs. The suspects are believed to have been active since May, stealing mainly from letterboxes of those living in old buildings in Sham Shui Po, said Paul Renouf, superintendent of the Commercial Crime Bureau's counterfeit and forgery division.
The four were arrested for theft, possession of offensive weapons and instruments fit for unlawful purposes, and drug trafficking. They were charged yesterday and will face court today.
Renouf would not disclose the amount of money involved as the investigation was ongoing. He advised those whose letters containing bank cards did not arrive on time to contact their banks.
"People should take good care of their postboxes, so that their letters cannot be stolen," he said.
