bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Danny Mok

Two men have been arrested for allegedly stealing rice from a supermarket amid fears of a food shortage in Hong Kong due to the coronavirus pandemic and the government’s social-distancing measures for restaurants.
The men, from Nepal and Bangladesh, were stopped by officers outside Aeon supermarket on Tak Hong Street, Hung Hom, at about 6pm on Friday.
Six packs of rice, weighing 12kg in total, were found on them. Officers believed they had been stolen from the supermarket.
The two men, aged 22 and 33, were detained.

The incident was the second such theft reported in a week.
On Tuesday night at the same supermarket, a security guard chased a man after seeing him stealing three packs of rice weighing 15kg in total.
The suspect ran into the nearby Whampoa MTR station and dropped the rice before getting to the train platform by jumping a gate.
He waved a syringe to fend off approaching MTR staff and escaped by running onto the track.
Hong Kong food traders assure people of stable supply as desperate residents clear shelves
The cases came to light as many Hongkongers thronged supermarkets to stock up on rice, amid worries that Vietnamese authorities might ban rice exports to ensure domestic food security.
Vietnam said on Friday it planned to stockpile rice and suspend new rice export contracts by the end of the month to ensure it could feed its own population through the public health crisis.
Thailand’s declaration of a nationwide state of emergency on Tuesday to fight the pandemic also added to fears over rice supply.


The two Southeast Asian nations are the top sources of rice for the city.
Hong Kong’s rice traders assured buyers that there was enough supply even if Vietnam halted exports. But the city government on Friday announced social-distancing measures to check the spread of the virus, fuelling the rush among shoppers who tried to grab more rice, preparing to dine at home in the coming weeks.
Hong Kong to limit public gatherings to four as coronavirus cases rise
The rush was not widespread, but shelves for popular rice brands in some supermarkets were almost emptied on Thursday. Some brands available on online retailer HKTV Mall were also sold out.
From 6pm on Saturday, restaurants will be required to limit the number of diners at each table to four, while tables will have to be 1.5 metres apart. Bars and restaurants will only be allowed to operate at half their capacity. The measures will last for two weeks, subject to review.


UK ex-PM Boris Johnson hits back at ‘incoherent’ Covid inquiry report

Former UK government slammed for its initial Covid-19 response: ‘too little, too late’

How losing 41kg in 7 months saw Hongkonger go from panic attack to best shape of his life

China’s weak consumption and how economist Lu Feng would fix it

Coronavirus pandemic: All stories

Coronavirus: two arrested for allegedly stealing rice from Aeon supermarket in Hong Kong amid shortage fears due to pandemic

Shelves for popular rice brands in some of Hong Kong’s supermarkets were almost empty on Thursday. Photo: May Tse

AEON STYLE Whampoa exit, Exit D1 of Whampoa MTR Station.  HANDOUT PHOTO/ wikimedia

News

Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Coronavirus

Asia

Greater China


Police stopped the pair outside Aeon supermarket in Hung Hom on Friday and found six packs of rice, totalling 12kg, on them
On Tuesday, a security guard chased a man after seeing him stealing three packs of rice weighing 15kg in total from the same store



Police stopped the pair outside Aeon supermarket in Hung Hom on Friday and found six packs of rice on them.


Crime in Hong Kong