3 burglars wanted by Hong Kong police for alleged theft of 50 turtles said to cost HK$5 million
Source says men in their thirties captured on CCTV breaking into 23rd-floor unit of Lung Shing Factory Building in Tsuen Wan
Fifty live turtles claimed to be worth HK$5 million (US$643,800) in total have been stolen from an industrial building in Hong Kong, prompting police to launch a citywide manhunt for three burglars.
A four-minute video posted online shows two of three black-clad men stealing turtles from plastic boxes.
One man wearing a black hoodie but not a mask can be seen in the clip removing the reptiles from the boxes on shelves on metal frames and stuffing them into bags. The footage shows two men apparently making a final inspection before leaving the premises.
A source said on Tuesday that surveillance camera footage showed three men in their thirties breaking into a 23rd-floor unit of the Lung Shing Factory Building on Texaco Road in Tsuen Wan at around 8.16am and leaving four minutes later.
According to the insider, the unit houses a licensed turtle breeding farm and Eastern box turtles were stolen.
“The turtles are estimated to have a street value of around HK$10,000 each, but the person in charge of the farm insists that they are valued at HK$100,000 each,” he said, adding the man did not provide any records or documents to prove the total value of the 50 turtles.
The break-in was discovered at around 10am on Tuesday when a 40-year-old occupant of the unit found the front door had been forced open, according to the force.