A syndicate that made about HK$5 million a month smuggling shopping bags containing dismantled motorbikes from the city to the mainland was put out of action by the arrest of the leader and three members yesterday.
The syndicate was allegedly headed by a 48-year-old mainland man and had been operating for about 11/2 years.
The arrests come as annual crime statistics, released this week, show the number of stolen motorcycles jumped from 380 in 2007 to 440 last year, a rise of more than 15 per cent.
Organised Crime and Triad Bureau officers were tipped off about the syndicate about a month ago. Chief Inspector Lam Sai-kit said the syndicate paid thieves for the bikes, dismantled them and put the parts of each in five red, white and blue nylon shopping bags. Smugglers were paid up to HK$300 each to carry a bag across the border at the Lo Wu checkpoint.
Up to 100 bikes were carried across the border each month, he said. The motorbikes were then reassembled and sold at underground markets for HK$60,000 each, with the gang taking a profit of about HK$50,000 on each bike - or up to HK$5 million a month.
Chief Inspector Lam said the motorcycles were stolen in Hong Kong and countries such as Japan.
