Arrest fuels fears that illegal immigrants are targeting the homes of HK's richest
An armed robber was caught on the Peak yesterday, adding to fears that illegal immigrants from the mainland are increasingly targeting Hong Kong's wealthiest homes.
When plainclothes officers patrolling the neighbourhood arrested the man they found he was equipped with a stun gun and a folding knife.
The arrest comes after a number of measures were implemented to counter burglaries on the Peak after three robbers escaped with jewellery from the home of one of the mainland's richest men - Hui Wing-mau - last month.
Yesterday a 24-year-old man carrying a backpack was discovered acting suspiciously at the entrance of a slope leading to three houses in Peak Road while a team of plainclothes officers was on patrol in an unmarked car shortly after 4am.
'It is the first time police have found a firearm on a burglar caught on the Peak in years,' a police source said. 'He told us he bought the weapon on the mainland.'
Police said that the suspect was arrested for possession of a firearm and offensive weapon, going equipped for stealing, and unlawfully remaining in Hong Kong.