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Sammy Heung

Many residents of The Peak and the Mid-Levels are out of town during the summer, and police launched an operation targeting burglaries in affluent residential areas as a result.
Here, the Post explains the operation code-named “Eaglerise”, which was carried out Friday to Sunday.
1. How did the police conduct the operation?
Roadblocks were set up at night, and officers also climbed down hillsides with ropes to conduct searches, according to the force.
A Government Flying Service helicopter and police drones were deployed to carry out aerial surveillance, aiding officers and tracking dogs as they combed slopes and undergrowth.
But a police spokeswoman said on Monday that no arrests were made in the operation.
Officers visited housing estates in the district and handed out leaflets to raise awareness of crime prevention among residents and security personnel.
Residents were reminded to ramp up security by ensuring doors and windows were locked and not to leave significant amounts of cash or valuables at home.
The force said people should immediately call police if they noticed suspicious individuals near their homes or hillsides.
2. What crimes have taken place in the area?
Just two days before, officers were dispatched to an upscale home on Mount Kellett Road on The Peak at around 10.50pm after a domestic helper, 55, found the premises had been broken into.
Other than a broken window, signs of ransacking were found in the house’s master bedroom, the force said. It was unknown what was stolen because the helper’s employer had not returned to Hong Kong.
Last March, HK$760,000 (US$96,820) worth of jewellery was stolen from a safe in a flat at the Realty Gardens housing estate on Conduit Road in the Mid-Levels.
The female resident called police after finding one of her bedrooms had been ransacked and the safe prised open.
3. Are there more burglaries?
Police handled 604 reports of burglaries across the city in the first five months of 2024, up by 37.3 per cent from the 440 cases recorded during the same period last year.
Between January and May this year, 4,237 cases of violent crime were logged, an increase of 9.4 per cent compared with the 3,872 reports in the same period last year.
Authorities installed 15 sets of surveillance cameras in Mong Kok in March to prevent crimes. They are part of a broader initiative to set up 2,000 by the end of 2024, targeting densely populated zones and higher crime areas.

4. Who lives in the upscale area?
Government House, the official residence of the city’s chief executive, is located on Upper Albert Road and Lower Albert Road in the Mid-Levels.
The official residences of the city’s No 2 official and the secretary for justice are also located in the area.
Boasting a tranquil environment and impressive views of Victoria Harbour, The Peak and the Mid-Levels are well-loved by tycoons and celebrities.
Local media have reported Henderson Land Development’s Lee Shau-kee, Hong Kong’s second-richest man, lives in a mansion on Barker Road on The Peak.
It was also reported that Joseph Lau Luen-hung, one of Hong Kong’s wealthiest men and the founder of Hong Kong-listed developer Chinese Estates Holdings, had owned and sold properties in the Mid-Levels.
In 2021, the Post reported that Lau Chauin, the daughter of Heungkong Group chairman Lau Chi-keung bought “Asia’s most expensive flat” at the time in the luxury Mount Nicholson development on The Peak.
She spent a combined HK$1.2 billion on two flats in phase three of the project by Wharf Holdings and Nan Fung Development.
One of the flats, measuring 4,544 sq ft and with three car parking spaces, sold for HK$639.8 million, or HK$140,800 per square foot, making it Asia’s most expensive flat on a per square foot basis.
5. What are the most expensive properties in the area?
It was reported that Lee’s three-home family mansion on Barker Road remained the most expensive mansion by rateable value in Hong Kong in 2023, despite its rental value falling by 8.6 per cent to HK$24.2 million a year, according to government data.
Media reports in 2010 said the tycoon paid about HK$1.82 billion for the Barker Road property. A house at 22 Barker Road sold for HK$1.5 billion in 2015.
The prices dwarfed those for luxury properties in other regional cities.
On Singapore’s Nassim Road, widely regarded as the most luxurious, prestigious street and home to some of the most expensive properties in the city state, the Arwaa Mansion – which sits on an area of about 10,000 square metres – was estimated to be worth about S$120 million (HK$697 million).
Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun in January reported that the average price for new build apartments in Tokyo hit ¥114.83 million (about HK$5.6 million) in 2023.
The Kita, in Shibuya ward, Tokyo, last year sold for about US$50 million.
The 5,457 sq ft home features a penthouse with a rooftop infinity pool and view of the lush forest surrounding the nearby Meiji Shrine.
Additional reporting by Ng Kang-chung


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Police launched operation to prevent burglaries in Mid-Levels, The Peak where tycoons, celebrities love to live. This is why

The view from Mount Kellett Road on The Peak. The area has long attracted the city’s richest and most famous. Photo: Sam Tsang

Officers on a hillside during the three-day operation that ended on Sunday. Photo: Handout 

Hong Kong police launch air and land operation to tackle burglary on The Peak and in Mid-Levels

A police spokeswoman says no arrests were made in the anti-burglary operation. Photo: Handout

A helicopter and police drones are deployed to help with patrols. Photo: Handout

Hong Kong’s Peak Tram resumes service after 3-day suspension due to fallen trees

Strong winds and heavy rain toppled several trees near the Peak Tram’s Barker Road stop. Photo: Elson Li

Workers clear branches near the Peak Tram’s tracks. Photo: Elson Li

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What to know about the operation involving a helicopter, dogs and drones and why it was carried out


What to know about the operation involving a helicopter, dogs and drones and why it was carried out in the luxury residential area.


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.css-1mniedq{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;}What to know about the operation involving a helicopter, dogs and drones and why it was carried out

1. How did the police conduct the operation?

What to know about the operation involving a helicopter, dogs and drones and why it was carried out