Hong Kong theft cases spike 40 per cent in first 2 months of year, but ‘no close link’ to border reopening with mainland China, police say
- Police figures show 3,341 reports of theft in first two months of 2023, compared with 2,442 in the same period last year
- Chief Inspector Choi Wing-yuk points to resumption of economic, social activities as main cause, rejects links to border reopening
The number of theft cases in Hong Kong has increased nearly 40 per cent in the first two months of the year compared with the same period in 2022, according to police.
Chief Inspector Choi Wing-yuk, from the crime prevention bureau, attributed the surge to the greater number of business and social activities as the city began its post-pandemic recovery. But she said there was “no close link” between the uptick in theft cases and the border reopening with mainland China.
“The city is gradually returning to normality and the social and economic activities in society have increased. It is the main reason why there is such a rise in people trying to make quick cash,” she said.
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Figures showed there were 3,341 reports of theft across the city in the first two months of the year, compared with 2,442 handled by the force in the same period in 2022, up sharply by 37 per cent.
Across the two-month period the number of people arrested on theft-related crimes jumped from 953 to 1,237 year on year.
But despite linking the uptick to the resumption of regular activities during the post-pandemic recovery, Choi said the force found no connection to the return of mainlander Chinese visitors following the full reopening of the border earlier this year.
Among all kinds of theft cases, pickpocketing reports soared 96 per cent from 26 to 51, while cases of shoplifting rose 35 per cent from 895 to 1,207, and miscellaneous theft climbed 46 per cent from 1,232 to 1,797.
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Senior Inspector Yeung Tit-ho, from the Sham Shui Po anti-triad section, said police smashed a criminal gang which mainly committed shoplifting offences earlier this month.
He said the group targeted supermarkets and big retail chains, hitting the stores while they were busy or when manpower was thin.
“The stolen goods are mainly small and not equipped with antitheft magnetic strips. They range from small home electrical appliances, to personal care, cleaning products and red wines,” Yeung said.
He added the group stored the stolen goods in a subdivided flat in Mong Kok and sold them on social media platforms at 30 per cent off the market price.
He said two people from the criminal group working in the subdivided flat and two buyers were arrested on suspicion of handling the stolen goods in a police operation on March 9. Another two people were arrested on suspicion of theft.
Yeung said anyone who handled stolen goods or committed theft could face up to 14 or 10 years in jail respectively.
Police have urged shopkeepers to install closed-circuit television cameras and paste antitheft magnetic stickers on goods to prevent shoplifters.
