Hong Kong police arrest 2 suspected triad members over video clip of man confessing to bungled robbery of illegal casino
- Clip shows man holding his identity card and claiming he conspired with another person in attempt to rob the den in Cheung Sha Wan
- His four accomplices tried to follow a gambler into the casino but failed and fled empty-handed
Hong Kong police have arrested two suspected triad members in relation to a video clip of a naked man allegedly confessing to a bungled robbery of an underground casino.
The 71-second video shows the man holding his Hong Kong identity card and claiming he conspired with another man, nicknamed Ah Him, in an attempt to rob the gambling den on Wing Hong Street in Cheung Sha Wan.
A force insider said the investigation showed the 29-year-old man surnamed Wong posed as a gambler to enter the premises before his four accomplices came and tried to rob the den at about 11.45pm on Saturday. The four black-clad robbers, wearing masks and caps and carrying knives, tried to follow a gambler into the premises but failed and fled empty-handed via the rear staircases.
Inside the venue, Wong was caught by suspected members of the Wo On Lok triad, who were accused of running the gambling establishment that provided baccarat games.
In the video that was filmed at about 4am on Sunday, Wong claimed he was a member of a Sun Yee On triad faction active in Kowloon City, adding that the hold-up was plotted by Ah Him and he joined because “my family needed money urgently”.
The police source said Wong had likely been threatened into taking off his clothes for the video.
Officers from the Kowloon West anti-triad squad were tasked to investigate after the video began circulating on social media.
On Monday morning, Wong was taken from his home in Fo Tan to the headquarters of Kowloon West regional crime unit in Kowloon City, where he was arrested for illegal gambling. He denied going to the gambling den in an attempt to carry out the robbery.
Officers raided the underground casino in Cheung Sha Wan, but no other arrests were made.
“The flat is empty. No gambling paraphernalia was found there. It had been removed,” said another source, adding that police were still searching for the four masked robbers and seven suspected Wo On Lok triad members accused of operating the gambling den and detaining Wong illegally.
The anti-triad squad also raided a Kowloon City flat and arrested a 50-year-old man for unlawful detention and operating a gambling establishment. According to the sources, the man was suspected of being a member of the Wo On Lok triad.
As of Tuesday morning, the two suspects were being held for questioning and had not been charged.
Police said the investigation was continuing and more arrests were possible.
