Teen debt collectors force-fed couple pills

Three teenagers who answered an advertisement for delivery jobs found themselves working as debt collectors, and tied up a couple before force-feeding them sleeping pills, a court heard yesterday.

Li Ka-fai, Lau Hung and Wong Lap-wai were all 16 when they answered the newspaper advertisement in October 2000.

Within weeks, the three found themselves going along with an older man who led them on a raid of the Sheung Wan flat of Li Wai-luen, 28, and Wong Lai-fan, 24. They forced their way into the flat after threatening Ms Wong with knives.

Prosecutor John Halley told the Court of First Instance Ms Wong was blindfolded and bound and put in the bedroom where she was forced to take two sleeping pills, which she secretly spat out.

Mr Halley said Ms Wong feigned unconsciousness, and while doing so felt Li fondle her. Li stopped when she pretended to be waking up. Mr Halley said while Li was standing guard over Ms Wong, the other robbers woke up Li Wai-luen and told him they were hired to 'take his life'. One of the robbers told him they would spare him if he paid them $500,000, Mr Halley said.

Over the next few hours, Mr Li was tied up and forced to tell the robbers the whereabouts of his cash, valuables and credit and bank cards along with their PINs. The value of the items stolen from the flat was $60,700. Mr Li was then forced to take a sleeping pill.