Detectives are investigating two pre-dawn arson cases in eight days in which two stolen vehicles were set alight outside the luxury residence of disgraced tycoon George Tan Soon-gin in Tseung Kwan O.
The latest happened at about 3am yesterday when a delivery van was driven into a path off Clear Water Bay Road before stopping outside the main gate of the fence surrounding Tan's mansion.
A barking dog alerted a male helper from the mansion who went to check the closed-circuit television system, police said. 'Through a surveillance camera, a man was seen jumping out from the goods van,' a police officer said. 'It quickly burst into flames when the man threw something into the vehicle. The helper then called police.'
The suspect escaped before police arrived. Firefighters put out the blaze and no one was injured.
On December 27, a car was found on fire outside the gate.
As the two vehicles had been reported stolen, a detective said the incidents appeared to be linked and premeditated. 'The two arson cases are probably a warning to someone in the mansion,' the officer said.