HK$150,000 in cash and gold jewellery stolen from architect’s home in Hong Kong
- Owner’s daughter called police after finding place ransacked
- Police looking into whether case is related to attempted burglary in same area on previous day
Cash and valuables worth HK$150,000 (US$19,100) were stolen from an architect’s house in Sai Kung on Thursday, in Hong Kong’s latest burglary case.
The homeowner’s daughter, 32, found the house in Flamingo Garden on Fei Wan Road ransacked and called police soon after 8am.
“Initial information showed more than 10 gold jewellery worth about HK$50,000 were stolen, along with 50,000 yuan (US$7,170) and about HK$50,000 in foreign currency,” a police source said, adding that a door had been pried open and a window had been broken.
Officers searched the area, but no one was arrested.
The break-in took place soon after an attempted burglary at a flat off Clear Water Bay Road at about 4am on Wednesday. The two sites are about 6km apart.
The would-be burglar fled empty-handed when his attempt to pry open the bedroom’s window of a fourth-floor flat in Clear Water Bay Apartments was discovered by the 62-year-old tenant. She called police eight hours later.
Safe with HK$900,000 in gold and cash stolen from Kowloon Tong flat
Officers are looking into whether the two cases are linked.
Thursday’s break-in was one of four reports of burglary involving two houses and one apartment off Clear Water Bay Road in Sai Kung since Tuesday. Less than HK$100,000 worth of valuables were stolen in the three previous cases.
After the latest break-in, police launched an anti-burglary operation in Sai Kung and Tseung Kwan O with the help of a helicopter on Thursday afternoon, according to a police source.
He said the operation would last three days.
Police Tactical Unit carry out air and land search following latest break-in
Multiple break-ins continued to be reported, with thousands of dollars worth of cash and valuables being taken from different homes.
On October 24, the residence of the former commander of the Auxiliary Police Force, Arthur Kwok Chi-shun, on The Peak, was targeted by a burglar who made off empty-handed after he triggered a security alarm.
The number of reported burglaries in the city fell by 17.4 per cent to 808 in the first half of this year, marking a record low since half-year crime statistics were first compiled in 1977. Police said burglaries involving thefts of at least HK$500,000 dropped to eight in the first half of this year, from 13 in the same period last year.
In recent years, burglars have targeted luxury homes and flats in upscale neighbourhoods such as The Peak, Repulse Bay, Kowloon Tong and Deep Water Bay.
