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Police take the two suspects away. Photo: Handout

Two men from mainland China arrested in wake of Lamma Island crime spree

Police looking into whether suspects are connected to series of burglaries in which more than HK$220,000 in cash and valuables was taken

Hong Kong police arrested two male visitors from the mainland for loitering after they were found acting suspiciously outside a village house on Lamma Island on Wednesday.

The two men, aged 31 and 34, were picked up around midday after police received a call from a villager.

Detectives from the marine police regional crime unit are looking into whether the pair are connected to a series of recent break-ins on the island.

The suspects have been held for questioning but have not been charged.

The arrests came after a spate of break-ins late last month.

A force insider earlier told the Post that he believed a lone burglar was responsible because of the similar modus operandi. More than HK$220,000 in cash and valuables was stolen in four of the cases, and no valuables were stolen in the other three.

The most serious of these thefts took place on May 26, with HK$143,000 in cash and valuables, including 30 watches, taken.

It is understood that the victims included a freelance British teacher, a Dutch artist and a local computer programmer.

In the wake of the burglaries, police stepped up round-the-clock patrols by uniformed and plain-clothes officers on the island and appealed to residents to increase security at home.

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