Ex-PLA soldier and lover jailed for theft, laundering
Thieves lived a life of luxury paid for by stolen jewellery
A former People's Liberation Army soldier who became an "expert burglar" has been sentenced to seven years' jail, the maximum in the District Court, for stealing millions of dollars worth of jewellery and cash from two industrial buildings.
Chu Shue-lung, 57, and his girlfriend Li Shuk-woon, 42 - who lived together in a luxury Mid-Levels flat - were also jointly convicted on a charge of money laundering.
Sentencing Chu, Judge Eddie Yip Chor-man said he had hurt the owners more emotionally than financially.
"Some of this stolen property was the owners' collections, or even passed down to them by family members," Yip said. "Their sentimental value far exceeded the monetary value."
Some of this stolen property was the owners' collections, or even passed down to them by family members. Their sentimental value far exceeded the monetary value
The judge described Chu, also a former member of the mainland public security bureau, as an "expert in burglary", given his multiple record of such offences.
The money laundering, Yip said, involved "a lot of transactions, a long period of time, and a certain quantity of rewards".