POLICE believe they have smashed an armed robbery gang after a raid early yesterday on what they thought was a drug syndicate operating in Mongkok.
Special Duty Squad officers arrested 12 people and seized a home-made pistol, 150 grams of heroin - worth about $3,000 - a knife, five bullets, and a pair of handcuffs in the operation in Reclamation Street.
A police spokeswoman said three of those arrested were believed to have been involved in up to three robberies last year.
''Initially it was a drug raid but then it turned out to be a robbery gang,'' she said. ''Two of the robberies were in Mongkok in January last year in which two villas were robbed. The third was the robbery of a godown in Tuen Mun in October.'' The spokeswoman said the pistol had not been fired.
The investigation was taken over by the Regional Crime Unit (RCU), Kowloon West.
The 11 men and one woman, all from Hong Kong, were still being questioned last night. None have been charged.
