Raid snares HK's most-wanted man

120 officers make the biggest seizure of firearms in over 20 years, finding 800 bullets and seven grenades

Hong Kong's most-wanted suspect, Kwai Ping-hung, will spend Christmas behind bars after he was arrested by the elite police Flying Tiger squad as he slept early yesterday.

Officers made the biggest seizure of firearms for nearly 30 years during the raid in Yau Ma Tei. The find included seven grenades and more than 800 bullets, said Chief Superintendent Fung Kin-man, head of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau .

Police confirmed the arrest last night. Sources in the force said earlier that Kwai, 43, was one of the two men arrested in a surprise morning raid.

Kwai and his gang are suspected of committing 20 armed robberies in the past three decades, including the shooting and wounding of two policemen in Mongkok in 2001.

The pair were arrested in a large-scale operation involving about 120 officers - including those from the Special Duty Unit that is commonly known as the Flying Tiger squad. Triad and Criminal Intelligence Bureau officers also took part. Hooded officers equipped with machine guns and flak jackets raided an apartment in the Man King Building, Yau Ma Tei, at 3.30am. Officers sealed off four blocks surrounding the building and checked the identities of anyone heading in or out of the area.

The raid went smoothly and officers did not fire a single shot when the suspects were caught as they slept. The operation lasted about three hours.

The gang's arsenal was concealed in the apartment, with most of the weapons hidden in a suitcase. The seizure included seven grenades, one AK-47 automatic rifle, two shotguns, one .45 pistol, six 7.62mm pistols and more than 800 bullets. The bomb squad was called to the scene to handle the weapons.

'The seizure was the biggest in the past 20 to 30 years and we believed that this successful operation has prevented the culprits from committing serious armed crimes,' Mr Fung said.

The arrested men - the other is aged 46 - were detained for possession of arms and ammunition without a licence and were herded into a triad bureau vehicle. They were handcuffed and hooded. The suspect thought to be Kwai was wearing a brown top. The pair have been handed to the triad bureau for investigation.

Residents living in the Man King Building described their arrested neighbours as 'quiet' and said the pair only moved into the apartment in recent weeks.

Police said the raid came after almost two months of investigations. Police Commissioner Dick Lee Ming-kwai said more details of the gang's operation would be released after further investigation.

Chief Executive Tung Chee-hwa, who went to police headquarters yesterday afternoon to discuss the arrests with Mr Lee, praised the operation and said it would help Hong Kong's economic recovery.

'This morning's police operation ... was an outstanding and efficient job. We should thank our police officers. For the economy to continue its revival, we need a stable society,' he said.