American pilot arrested in Hong Kong after being sent one live round of ammunition and 9,000 blanks and spent cartridges in the post
- Police believe the ammunition, which was in four boxes, could have been sent to the man by mistake
- The 44-year-old had recently relocated to the city from his hometown in the United States
An American pilot was arrested at his Hong Kong flat on Wednesday night after a live round, and more than 9,000 blank and spent cartridges believed to have been sent to him by mistake were seized by police, the Post has learned.
Officers were called to a warehouse in Tsing Yi at 5.40pm on Wednesday, when staff at a logistics company found the haul when they opened the boxes for inspection.
“The haul contained one live round, more than 4,000 empty cartridges, and about 5,000 spent cartridges,” a police source said, adding it was possible the haul had been sent to the city by mistake.
The boxes were brought back to the warehouse after being sent to the Kennedy Town home of the 44-year-old pilot.
Police arrested the man on suspicion of possession of ammunition without a licence – an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in jail.