Singaporean man who illegally stayed in Hong Kong for more than decade to be charged over HK$14,000 robbery bid using toy gun
- Suspect passed a note to teller at China Construction Bank (Asia) in Yau Ma Tei, claiming he had a gun
- He fled across Nathan Road and jumped aboard a double-decker bus headed north
A Singaporean man who has stayed in Hong Kong illegally for more than a decade will be charged with robbery after he allegedly brandished a toy gun at a bank teller and stole HK$14,000 (US$1,785).
Police said on Thursday night that the man would be charged over the incident in Yau Ma Tei. He is also linked to a similar case two years ago in Mong Kok.
CCTV footage posted online shows the robber standing at the counter of China Construction Bank (Asia) located on Nathan Road and slipping a piece of paper through the slot at the bottom of the protective barrier. He raises the gun-like object and points it at the teller as she reads the note and then passes her a black bag.
Throughout the 40-second video, a customer is seen standing beside him at the next teller window, seemingly oblivious to the crime.
The robber fled across Nathan Road, not far from Hamilton Street, and jumped aboard a northbound bus as bank employees chased him, but without success, according to Superintendent Alan Chung Nga-lun of the Kowloon West regional crime unit.
Witnesses told police the man boarded the 87D bus headed for Ma On Shan.
Heavily armed officers wearing full protective gear arrived at the scene at around 3.40pm, and video posted online showed them stopping a double-decker at a busy intersection to carry out a search.