Suspect escapes from Hong Kong court after swapping identification wristband with detainee granted bail
- Police are searching for 37-year-old man who was remanded in custody after appearing in court on drug trafficking charges
- Suspect switched wristbands with 24-year-old man who was in court in connection with domestic violence case, according to source
A citywide manhunt was under way in Hong Kong on Tuesday for a suspected drug trafficker who escaped from custody at a court by switching his identification wristband with another detainee in the same holding cell.
The 37-year-old man, who had been detained on suspicion of drug trafficking, was remanded in custody after his appearance in West Kowloon Court on Monday, a source familiar with the case said.
The other detainee was a 24-year-old man who was arrested in connection with a domestic violence case and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm. He was granted bail when he was brought before the court on Monday.
The source said the investigation suggested the two detainees switched their wristbands, which were used to identify them, while they were in the holding cell after their court appearances.
“[The drug trafficker] allegedly impersonated the other suspect and he could tell police the name and identity number of the younger man during the bail-related procedures,” he said.
No one discovered the mix-up when the 37-year-old suspect signed to collect the belongings of the 24-year-old detainee, including an identity card, the source said.
The case came to light after the drug trafficker left the West Kowloon Court building on Tung Chau Street in Sham Shui Po. Police searched the area, but no arrest was made.
