Camouflaged police hide in bushes to catch serial Lamma Island burglar
Officers have stepped up surveillance measures after seven reported break-ins over the past week, the Post has been told
Camouflaged police officers have been hiding in the undergrowth in wait for a burglar on Lamma Island in response to a spate of break-ins over the past seven days, the Post has been told.
Police have also stepped up round-the-clock patrols by uniformed and plain-clothes officers on the island and appealed to residents to increase security at home after seven reports of burglaries since Thursday last week, according to police sources.
A force insider believed a lone burglar, still at large, was behind the break-ins because of their similar modus operandi. More than HK$220,000 in cash and valuables was stolen in four of the cases and no valuables were stolen in the other three.
He said investigations indicated the suspected raider climbed into the targeted homes by prying open windows with a screwdriver and he usually struck between dinner time and midnight.
“The burglar seemed to be familiar with the environment on the island. We don’t rule out that he lives there,” he said.
It is understood the victims included a freelance British teacher, a Dutch artist and a local computer programmer.