https://www.scmp.com/rss/325238/feed Hong Kong crime news, including murder cases, triads, the hunt for serial killers, court cases and trials, shootings, burglary, armed robbery and corruption. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial For decades, Hong Kong has prided itself on being one of the world’s cleanest cities, where corruption is swiftly punished and the rule of law firmly upheld. However, a persistent rot has been left to fester in the building renovation sector – a problem recently linked to a horrific blaze that claimed 168 lives at a Tai Po housing estate last November. In this respect, two recent high-profile actions by the Independent Commission Against Corruption serve as a welcome reminder of Hong Kong’s... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348921/moves-clean-hong-kong-building-renovation-sector-cant-come-too-soon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348921/moves-clean-hong-kong-building-renovation-sector-cant-come-too-soon?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:15:14 +0000 Lam Ka-sing Lam Ka-sing Police have arrested a domestic helper on suspicion of child neglect following the death of a six-month-old baby in northern Hong Kong. The force said it received a report from the baby girl’s family at 11.39am on Friday that she had been found unconscious on a bed at home in the Fairview Park development in Yuen Long. Emergency personnel rushed the infant to Pok Oi Hospital in Yuen Long for treatment, police said. She was transferred to Tuen Mun Hospital, where she was later certified dead. A... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349003/domestic-helper-arrested-after-6-month-old-girl-dies-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3349003/domestic-helper-arrested-after-6-month-old-girl-dies-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:24:46 +0000 Ng Kang-chung Ng Kang-chung Hong Kong customs officers seized 6.5kg of suspected drugs worth about HK$3.4 million (US$433,800) and arrested two men in separate cases earlier this week. The Customs and Excise Department said on Friday the first arrest occurred two days earlier at Hong Kong International Airport when officers found 3.1kg (6.8lbs) of suspected ketamine in the baggage of a man, 43, who arrived from Bangkok. The department said the suspected drugs were concealed inside food packaging in the baggage. In the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348994/hong-kong-customs-seizes-hk34-million-worth-suspected-drugs-arrests-2-men?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348994/hong-kong-customs-seizes-hk34-million-worth-suspected-drugs-arrests-2-men?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 13:45:31 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Hong Kong customs officers have seized about 162kg of suspected dried shark fins from protected species worth about HK$280,000 (US$35,720) from Panama at the airport. The Customs and Excise Department said on Friday that officers inspected an air consignment declared as dried fish maw arriving from the country the day before. Upon inspection, officers found six boxes of suspected scheduled dried shark fins, weighing about 162kg (357lbs), inside the consignment. The case has been handed over to... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348940/hong-kong-customs-seizes-hk280000-worth-dried-shark-fins-panama?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348940/hong-kong-customs-seizes-hk280000-worth-dried-shark-fins-panama?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 08:31:17 +0000 Jeffie Lam Jeffie Lam Hong Kong police are on the hunt for two men who allegedly attacked a taxi driver with whom they had an argument in Yuen Long in the early hours of Friday. The force received a report from the 57-year-old victim at 2.50am. The cabby said he had asked the two men blocking his vehicle off at 3 Kau Yuk Road to move aside, but his plea triggered a quarrel and led to him being attacked by the pair. The two men, both described as non-ethnic Chinese, fled after the attack. Officers arriving at the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348881/hong-kong-police-hunt-2-men-who-attacked-taxi-driver-after-quarrel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348881/hong-kong-police-hunt-2-men-who-attacked-taxi-driver-after-quarrel?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:00:17 +0000 Bernard Chan Bernard Chan The sentencing of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has been cited by several Western officials and media outlets as further evidence that Hong Kong’s legal system is in decline. Lai, the founder of the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper, faced multiple charges, including two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious publications. He was convicted last December and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in February. That same month, however, the Court of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348705/dont-let-geopolitical-rivalry-skew-debate-over-jimmy-lais-sentencing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348705/dont-let-geopolitical-rivalry-skew-debate-over-jimmy-lais-sentencing?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:30:08 +0000 Richard Harris Richard Harris The mighty Zambezi River has its source in northern Zambia, and flows north, west, south, then east, tracing borders for several countries including Zimbabwe. As the river enters Zimbabwe, the water molecules begin to flow faster, unknowingly energised – developing first into a rush, then eventually a torrent as they plunge down the Victoria Falls. This is an excellent analogy of the extremes of stock market price movements. In a stock market crash, prices move slowly, then very fast. My... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348698/us-hong-kong-theres-no-excuse-insider-trading?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3348698/us-hong-kong-theres-no-excuse-insider-trading?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 21:30:10 +0000 Edith Lin,Leopold Chen Edith Lin,Leopold Chen An employee of the property management firm at Hong Kong’s inferno-ravaged Wang Fuk Court housing estate has admitted the company failed in its contractual obligations to identify and follow up on fire hazards, while none of its top management testified at an evidential hearing into the disaster. The eighth day of the hearing by the independent committee investigating the November 26 blaze that claimed 168 lives centred on Cheng Tsz-ying, a property officer at ISS EastPoint, the property... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348856/tai-po-blaze-hearing-property-firm-failed-identify-follow-fire-hazards?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348856/tai-po-blaze-hearing-property-firm-failed-identify-follow-fire-hazards?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 15:18:05 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. An independent committee investigating the cause of Hong Kong’s deadliest inferno in decades wrapped up its first round of hearing sessions on Thursday, with the role of the property management firm at blaze-hit Wang Fuk Court under scrutiny. Lam Man-yan, technical officer with ISS EastPoint - the property manager of the Tai Po housing estate when the fire... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348730/tai-po-fire-hearing-committee-chairman-says-good-progress-made?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348730/tai-po-fire-hearing-committee-chairman-says-good-progress-made?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 03:14:07 +0000 Fiona Sun,Theodora Yu Fiona Sun,Theodora Yu Shortly before the evening rush hour recently, chaos erupted at Hong Kong’s Wu Kai Sha MTR station when a wild boar stormed through the concourse. The animal, about 1.2 metres long and weighing around 40kg, knocked down an elderly man. The charging boar left a trail of blood on the station floor, injuring three other residents in a frenzied dash towards a nearby bus terminus and housing estates. “I saw it rampaging at the bus terminus while residents followed, snapping photos,” a woman working... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348718/it-time-call-end-hong-kongs-boar-war?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348718/it-time-call-end-hong-kongs-boar-war?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 02 Apr 2026 00:30:10 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A housewife in Hong Kong has lost nearly HK$2.5 million (US$320,500) in an online shopping scam after she tried to buy collagen drinks for HK$530, according to police. The victim saw a Facebook post advertising collagen drinks and transferred HK$530 via Faster Payment System, police said on their CyberDefender Facebook page. The seller later claimed the item was out of stock and offered a refund, sending the woman a link to a fake Facebook page that asked for her online banking... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348716/hong-kong-woman-loses-hk25-million-online-collagen-drinks-scam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348716/hong-kong-woman-loses-hk25-million-online-collagen-drinks-scam?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 16:03:55 +0000 Edith Lin,Leopold Chen Edith Lin,Leopold Chen Staff at the property management company at Hong Kong’s inferno-ravaged Wang Fuk Court housing estate acted with disregard for legal requirements, taking such actions as deactivating the fire safety system despite knowing they needed a registered contractor to do so, an evidential hearing has been told. Victor Dawes, lead counsel for an independent committee investigating the November 26 blaze that claimed 168 lives, also pointed to the management company’s workflow as a contributing factor in... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348715/tai-po-probe-workers-turned-fire-safety-system-disregarding-regulations?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348715/tai-po-probe-workers-turned-fire-safety-system-disregarding-regulations?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 01 Apr 2026 15:36:34 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The Tai Po blaze in November has left a deep scar on Hong Kong – not only because of the heavy loss of life and property, but also because of the sense of displacement among those who watched helplessly as their homes went up in flames. Meanwhile, the government continues to deal with the aftermath, including the daunting challenge of arranging for thousands of survivors to return to their fire-ravaged flats to retrieve belongings and bid farewell to their homes and to loved ones who... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348523/hong-kong-fire-survivors-returning-destroyed-flats-offers-closure?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348523/hong-kong-fire-survivors-returning-destroyed-flats-offers-closure?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 23:15:10 +0000 Matthew Cheng,Leopold Chen Matthew Cheng,Leopold Chen A property management worker at the housing estate ravaged by Hong Kong’s deadliest fire in decades was unaware that fire alarms had been deactivated after the hose reel system was shut down for water tank repairs, an evidentiary hearing has been told. On the sixth day of hearings by an independent committee investigating the November 26 blaze in Tai Po that claimed 168 lives, questions also arose about why fire services water tanks on building roofs were being repaired – a move that prompted... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348578/tai-po-blaze-hearing-property-management-worker-unaware-fire-alarms-deactivated?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348578/tai-po-blaze-hearing-property-management-worker-unaware-fire-alarms-deactivated?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 14:46:35 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow A Hong Kong court has sentenced 13 parents and a middleman to up to 14 months in jail for offering bribes ranging from HK$20,000 to HK$200,000 (US$2,600 to US$25,600) to a kindergarten administrator at the city’s biggest international school group in exchange for enrolments. In earlier mitigation, some of the defendants pinned the blame on Fatima Rumjahn, accusing the former English Schools Foundation (ESF) employee of “taking advantage of the parents’ eagerness to get their children into... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348521/13-parents-merchant-get-14-months-jail-bribing-esf-employee?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348521/13-parents-merchant-get-14-months-jail-bribing-esf-employee?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 08:12:41 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma A former Hong Kong truck driver who caused the death of a pregnant woman was sentenced to 22 months in prison on Tuesday, with the judge saying the man had made “continuous” wrong decisions in his driving. District Judge Josiah Lam Wai-kuen also pushed back on the defence’s mitigation argument that the accident had occurred because of a momentary lapse of judgment. “He had acted out of convenience for himself. This is not a lapse in judgment, but driving with bad judgment,” he said in the... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348491/hong-kong-man-gets-22-months-jail-pregnant-womans-death-truck-accident?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348491/hong-kong-man-gets-22-months-jail-pregnant-womans-death-truck-accident?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 05:51:06 +0000 SCMP Reporters SCMP Reporters This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Public hearings by a judge-led independent committee investigating Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades entered their sixth day and focused on the deactivation of the fire alarm systems at the Wang Fuk Court housing estate. Chung Kit-man, director and engineer of Victory Fire Engineering, the contractor responsible for the estate’s fire services equipment,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3348467/tai-po-fire-hearing-contractor-admits-negligence-over-problems-water-tanks?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/3348467/tai-po-fire-hearing-contractor-admits-negligence-over-problems-water-tanks?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 03:16:16 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu A knife-wielding attacker with suspected mental illness who was shot twice by police in Hong Kong’s Kwai Chung has died after 10 days in hospital in a critical condition. The government on Tuesday confirmed the 43-year-old suspect, surnamed Chung, was pronounced dead at Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung at 8.47pm on Monday. The incident occurred in the early hours of March 21 at the Kwai Chung section of Castle Peak Road, when three officers fired five rounds in total at the construction... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348463/knife-wielding-man-shot-hong-kong-police-dies-after-10-days-critical-condition?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348463/knife-wielding-man-shot-hong-kong-police-dies-after-10-days-critical-condition?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 31 Mar 2026 01:05:37 +0000 Matthew Cheng,Leopold Chen Matthew Cheng,Leopold Chen Fire alarm and firefighting pump systems at the housing estate engulfed in Hong Kong’s deadliest blaze in decades were found to have been switched off a week before the tragedy struck, with no action taken to reactivate them, an evidential hearing has been told. An independent committee investigating the Tai Po blaze, which broke out on November 26 last year and killed 168 people, on Monday also called on the public to provide information on whether systemic problems – such as collusion – had... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348444/fire-alarm-pump-systems-switched-tragedy-tai-po-blaze-panel-told?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3348444/fire-alarm-pump-systems-switched-tragedy-tai-po-blaze-panel-told?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:32:19 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong police have arrested a 36‑year‑old man on suspicion of taking upskirt images of a woman in a Sha Tin mall. Officers received a report from a passer-by that a man was secretly filming a woman inside the GreenPrice store in New Town Plaza shortly before 2pm on Monday. Police arrived and arrested him on suspicion of unlawful recording or observation of intimate parts. He has been detained, and a Sha Tin district investigation team is handling the case. A female staff member told media... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348445/hong-kong-man-arrested-suspicion-taking-upskirt-images-woman-shopper?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348445/hong-kong-man-arrested-suspicion-taking-upskirt-images-woman-shopper?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:28:31 +0000 Chen Xiaofeng Chen Xiaofeng On March 23, Hong Kong’s government brought into force amended implementation rules for Article 43 of the national security law. This is not a new power grab or an expansion of authority. It is a technical, evidence-based refinement of the 2020 implementation rules that have governed national security enforcement since the law took effect. Rooted in common law principle and aligned with global legislative practice, the amendments clarify operational gaps, strengthen procedural certainty and... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347880/lets-be-clear-national-security-law-update-not-power-grab?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/hong-kong-opinion/article/3347880/lets-be-clear-national-security-law-update-not-power-grab?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 12:30:08 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow Hong Kong police have arrested a man on suspicion of dangerous driving in connection with an online video allegedly showing him allowing a child on his lap to steer a car on a busy road. The force said on Monday that it had tracked down the 22-year-old man believed to be the driver seen in the video that went viral a day earlier. The footage, published in a Tuen Mun community group on social media, shows the child sitting on the driver’s lap and steering the wheel for more than a minute as cars... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348368/man-arrested-after-viral-video-shows-child-steering-car-busy-hong-kong-road?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348368/man-arrested-after-viral-video-shows-child-steering-car-busy-hong-kong-road?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 06:51:42 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu Hong Kong’s anti-corruption watchdog has arrested 10 people on suspicion of working as part of a crime syndicate that used triad connections to take control of a HK$160 million (US$20.4 million) renovation project, among other offences. The operation by the Independent Commission Against Corruption also led police to arrest 32 suspects in raids on multiple New Territories premises believed to be controlled by the syndicate’s triad elements. The watchdog said on Monday it had arrested the owner... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348355/icac-arrests-42-hk180-million-crackdown-triad-linked-renovation-projects?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348355/icac-arrests-42-hk180-million-crackdown-triad-linked-renovation-projects?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 30 Mar 2026 05:28:09 +0000 SCMP Editorial SCMP Editorial The traumatic memories of Hong Kong’s deadliest high-rise inferno are being revived as an independent review of the November tragedy gets down to business. The harrowing details of the blaze presented in the first few public hearing sessions are disturbing as are the contributing human factors and systemic failures identified. The rigorous fact-finding process should continue with full support from all parties concerned so that lessons are learned and reforms are undertaken to tackle an array of... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348139/time-confront-uncomfortable-truths-about-tai-po-fire?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/comment/article/3348139/time-confront-uncomfortable-truths-about-tai-po-fire?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 23:15:20 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong authorities seized 1,600 litres (423 gallons) of diesel from an illegal fuel station in Sai Wan on Saturday as part of a continuing crackdown on illicit fuel sales, amid rising oil prices driven by conflicts in the Middle East. Officers from the Fire Services Department and police raided the site on Fung Mat Road, recovering diesel worth HK$50,000 (US$6,383) and confiscating fuelling equipment. A man was arrested at the scene for alleged violations of fire hazard abatement and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348260/hong-kong-police-seize-1600-litres-diesel-arrest-1-raid-illegal-fuel-site?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348260/hong-kong-police-seize-1600-litres-diesel-arrest-1-raid-illegal-fuel-site?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 12:18:56 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu Hong Kong customs has seized about 20 million illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of HK$92 million (US$11.46 million) from a cargo vessel during a joint anti-smuggling operation with authorities in mainland China. The cigarettes would have generated about HK$68 million in tax revenue, authorities said on Saturday. Officers from the Customs and Excise Department, marine police and mainland law enforcement agencies conducted the operation in the early hours of Friday based on risk... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348248/4-held-hong-kong-seizes-hk92-million-illicit-cigarettes-cargo-vessel?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348248/4-held-hong-kong-seizes-hk92-million-illicit-cigarettes-cargo-vessel?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 09:17:35 +0000 Jeffie Lam Jeffie Lam A computer system containing Hong Kong prison employees’ personal data has been hacked, compromising the information of 6,800 current and former staffers. The Correctional Services Department said on Friday evening that a hacker had gained illegal access to one of its IT systems on Tuesday. “After a preliminary investigation, the Correctional Services Department believes the incident involved unauthorised access to the internal Knowledge Management System by a hacker, through which the hacker... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348230/hong-kong-prison-departments-it-system-hacked-6800-employees-data-compromised?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348230/hong-kong-prison-departments-it-system-hacked-6800-employees-data-compromised?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Mar 2026 04:21:33 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow A Hong Kong court has remanded in custody another 10 people in connection with the HK$1.6 billion (US$205.8 million) in JPEX cryptocurrency scandal, bringing the number prosecuted in the city’s largest alleged financial fraud in recent years to 26. The latest development came nearly three years after the scandal broke out in 2023, when police revealed that more than 2,700 people had fallen victim to the alleged scam involving losses of more than HK$1.6 billion. Twenty-three counts of money... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348180/10-defendants-remanded-custody-jpex-cryptocurrency-fraud-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348180/10-defendants-remanded-custody-jpex-cryptocurrency-fraud-case?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 11:18:26 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong authorities have arrested a man and seized more than 8,000 litres (2,100 gallons) of illegal fuel worth HK$250,000 (US$32,000), the latest in a string of similar cases amid conflict in the Middle East that has pushed up global oil prices. A police spokesman said on Friday that a joint operation with the Fire Services Department and the Customs and Excise Department the day before had led to the arrest of a 61-year-old driver linked to about 4,000 litres of suspected black market... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348089/over-8000-litres-illicit-fuel-worth-hk250000-seized-driver-arrested-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348089/over-8000-litres-illicit-fuel-worth-hk250000-seized-driver-arrested-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 27 Mar 2026 04:48:47 +0000 Edith Lin Edith Lin Hong Kong police have charged another 10 people in connection with the HK$1.6 billion (US$205.8 million) JPEX cryptocurrency scandal – the city’s largest alleged financial fraud in recent years. Four men and six women were charged on Thursday after investigations identified abnormal transactions in suspicious accounts linked to the case, police said. The suspects, aged between 26 and 47, will appear in Eastern Court on Friday charged with money laundering and conspiracy to launder money. The... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348049/police-charge-another-10-people-over-hk16-billion-jpex-cryptocurrency-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348049/police-charge-another-10-people-over-hk16-billion-jpex-cryptocurrency-scandal?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 16:21:29 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A 34-year-old domestic helper has been arrested in Hong Kong on suspicion of concealing a child’s birth after a newborn boy was found abandoned in a toilet rubbish bin and later declared dead at hospital. Wan Chai district crime squad officers arrested the Indonesian woman in Eastern district on Thursday. She remained in custody for questioning. A cleaner at Lee Theatre Plaza on Percival Street in Causeway Bay discovered the infant – umbilical cord still attached – in a rubbish bin inside a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348036/woman-34-held-over-death-newborn-found-rubbish-bin-hong-kong-plaza?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3348036/woman-34-held-over-death-newborn-found-rubbish-bin-hong-kong-plaza?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 12:51:20 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow A City University (CityU) professor has been sentenced to 4½ months in prison for offering a HK$1,000 (US$128) bribe to a Hong Kong property agent, after a magistrate dismissed the defendant’s claims that the situation arose from “cultural differences”. Du Du, 48, an associate professor at the university’s economics and finance department, was granted bail on Wednesday to appeal against his conviction for offering an advantage to the agent in an attempt to avoid paying HK$16,000 for breaching a... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347878/cityu-professor-gets-4-1/2-months-prison-offering-hk1000-bribe-agent?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347878/cityu-professor-gets-4-1/2-months-prison-offering-hk1000-bribe-agent?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 10:23:28 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow A Hong Kong court has granted further leniency to a senior Immigration Department assistant, placing him on a one-year probation order after he was convicted of repeatedly choking his wife and young son during domestic disputes. Kowloon City Court heard on Wednesday that the 49-year-old defendant, identified as “ATK”, preferred probation to community service because he would lose his job and the substantial pension accumulated over more than 30 years in the disciplined services. He earlier... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347818/leniency-shown-hong-kong-immigration-worker-who-repeatedly-assaulted-wife-and-son?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347818/leniency-shown-hong-kong-immigration-worker-who-repeatedly-assaulted-wife-and-son?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 06:17:45 +0000 Theodora Yu Theodora Yu Hong Kong’s competition watchdog has taken legal action against a syndicate it accuses of trying to corner a quarter of the building maintenance market, with one of the bids under scrutiny involving the Tai Po housing complex destroyed in a deadly blaze last year. The Competition Commission said on Wednesday it had launched proceedings at the Competition Tribunal over six undertakings involving eight companies and 12 individuals concerning building maintenance projects worth nearly HK$700... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347803/hong-kongs-icac-charges-5-over-alleged-building-renovation-bribery-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3347803/hong-kongs-icac-charges-5-over-alleged-building-renovation-bribery-scheme?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 25 Mar 2026 05:03:53 +0000 Fiona Chow Fiona Chow A former Hong Kong civil servant has been jailed for 12 months for threatening to burn down the newsrooms of the South China Morning Post and five other media outlets if they refused to publish seditious material he had created to frame the husband of his former girlfriend. West Kowloon Court on Tuesday heard the guilty pleas from Tse Chun-pan, 43, who had set up a website selling merchandise themed around the 2019 anti-government protests and demanded that six local media publish screenshots of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347751/jealous-hongkonger-who-threatened-burn-6-media-newsrooms-jailed-1-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347751/jealous-hongkonger-who-threatened-burn-6-media-newsrooms-jailed-1-year?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 13:44:07 +0000 Letters Letters Feel strongly about these letters, or any other aspects of the news? Share your views by emailing us your Letter to the Editor at letters@scmp.com or filling in this Google form. Submissions should not exceed 400 words On March 13, Against Child Abuse presented the results of a survey of 308 professionals at its annual professional forum which focused on mandatory reporting of child abuse. The survey aimed to elicit the attitude, knowledge, perceived challenges and insights of mandated reporters... https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3347586/how-hong-kong-can-map-path-forward-mandatory-reporting-child-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/opinion/letters/article/3347586/how-hong-kong-can-map-path-forward-mandatory-reporting-child-abuse?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 24 Mar 2026 03:30:08 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok A newborn baby boy was found abandoned in a rubbish bin inside a toilet at a Hong Kong shopping centre but later died in hospital. Police received a report at about 2.10pm on Monday that a cleaner at Lee Theatre Plaza on Percival Street in Causeway Bay had discovered the infant with his umbilical cord still attached in a rubbish bin inside a cubicle in the women’s restroom at The Starview Chinese restaurant. Paramedics arrived to find the baby unconscious and rushed him to Ruttonjee Hospital,... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347607/newborn-baby-found-rubbish-bin-hong-kong-shopping-centre-dies-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347607/newborn-baby-found-rubbish-bin-hong-kong-shopping-centre-dies-hospital?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 11:29:14 +0000 Brian Wong Brian Wong Hong Kong police have charged two men with a fresh terrorism offence under the national security law over an alleged bomb plot dating back three years. Prosecutors on Monday applied to Eastern Court to amend the charges against Ng Tsz-kit, 36, and Ho Chi-hang, 35, ahead of the case being transferred to the High Court for trial. The pair now face a conspiracy charge of committing terrorist acts for allegedly attempting to coerce central and local authorities or to intimidate the public through... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347564/hong-kong-police-file-fresh-terrorism-charge-against-pair-over-alleged-bomb-plot?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347564/hong-kong-police-file-fresh-terrorism-charge-against-pair-over-alleged-bomb-plot?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 07:42:32 +0000 Oscar Liu Oscar Liu A Hong Kong mother has been asked to pay more than HK$126,000 (US$16,100) in charges racked up by thieves who stole her credit card last November after HSBC said she failed to report the loss immediately. But 42-year-old Janice Choi* accused the bank of double standards, saying a friend who also had her credit card stolen on the same day reported the case to HSBC the next day and had the fraudulent charges waived. Choi told the South China Morning Post that she was notified in February that her... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347406/hsbc-asks-victim-credit-card-theft-pay-hk126580-racked-criminals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347406/hsbc-asks-victim-credit-card-theft-pay-hk126580-racked-criminals?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Mar 2026 01:00:17 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong Police have arrested a woman on suspicion of child abuse after she allegedly hit her 12-year-old son with a rattan cane in a Hong Kong flat. The police force said it received a report at 2.48pm on Saturday from a boy in Wong Tai Sin who complained he had been beaten by his mother. The boy, whose shoulder was red and swollen, was later taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei for treatment after police arrived at the public housing flat on Tsui Fung Street. Officers conducted an initial... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347446/mother-arrested-after-boy-12-told-police-she-beat-him-rattan-cane?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347446/mother-arrested-after-boy-12-told-police-she-beat-him-rattan-cane?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 15:34:47 +0000 Wynna Wong Wynna Wong Hong Kong police have arrested five people and recovered nearly HK$100 million (US$12.7 million) worth of gold stolen in a suspected deception case, in which a “buyer” allegedly worked for a group that seized the haul before fleeing. The incident took place at about 2.45pm on Friday at an office in Peninsula Square, a commercial building on Sung On Street in Hung Hom, where a staff member was conducting a gold handover to the “buyer”. The South China Morning Post earlier reported that the case... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347435/hong-kong-police-arrest-5-recover-nearly-hk100-million-stolen-gold-bars?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347435/hong-kong-police-arrest-5-recover-nearly-hk100-million-stolen-gold-bars?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 11:39:19 +0000 Fiona Sun Fiona Sun Three Hong Kong police officers fired a total of five shots at a knife-wielding man suspected to have mental problems after he charged at them in the early hours of Saturday morning, hitting him twice. The assailant, a 43-year-old construction worker, was struck in the right chest and thigh, the force said. He was unconscious when sent to Princess Margaret Hospital in Kwai Chung, where he underwent surgery. He was in a critical condition as of 10am, according to authorities. Senior... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347403/police-officers-fire-5-shots-charging-assailant-carrying-serrated-knife-metal-rod?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347403/police-officers-fire-5-shots-charging-assailant-carrying-serrated-knife-metal-rod?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 01:41:17 +0000 Jess Ma,Oscar Liu Jess Ma,Oscar Liu Operators of illicit fuel stations can earn as much as HK$10,000 (US$1,280) a day by smuggling untaxed petrol into Hong Kong using vehicles equipped with enlarged tanks and selling it to car club members via coded messages, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source said there had been more cases involving illicit fuel or “ghost oil” in the city since late February, when petrol prices began to soar following US-Israel strikes on Iran. The source said law enforcement raids usually... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347391/ghost-oil-stations-earn-hk10000-day-hong-kong-petrol-prices-soar?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/hong-kong-economy/article/3347391/ghost-oil-stations-earn-hk10000-day-hong-kong-petrol-prices-soar?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 00:00:15 +0000 Connor Mycroft Connor Mycroft Hong Kong police have launched a manhunt for three people involved in a suspected deception case in which a shop reportedly lost 73kg of gold bars worth an estimated US$12 million, the South China Morning Post has learned. The force said on Friday that a woman in Hung Hom had made a report around 2.57pm that a nearby shop was suspected to have been “burgled”. The woman said the shop owner had told her someone had stolen the gold bars before fleeing in a private vehicle. A source said the case... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347390/hong-kong-police-hunt-3-suspects-over-us12-million-gold-theft?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347390/hong-kong-police-hunt-3-suspects-over-us12-million-gold-theft?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 15:58:58 +0000 Lo Hoi-ying Lo Hoi-ying Hong Kong police have arrested 13 people on suspicion of laundering more than HK$113 million (US$14.4 million) using the government’s “iAM Smart” app in scams run by a syndicate. The force said on Friday that nine men and four women, aged between 38 and 75, were suspected of using victims’ “iAM Smart” accounts to launder money through “mule” bank accounts. “The syndicate placed fake job advertisements in newspapers, claiming to be hiring cleaners,” said Wong Yuk-yan, acting superintendent from... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347332/13-arrested-hong-kong-over-hk113-million-iam-smart-laundering-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347332/13-arrested-hong-kong-over-hk113-million-iam-smart-laundering-crackdown?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 10:06:07 +0000 William Yiu William Yiu Five people have been jailed in Hong Kong after an Immigration Department crackdown on illegal employment. The department said on Friday that it had raided 23 locations, including restaurants, cleaning companies and commercial buildings, during an operation carried out from Monday to Thursday. Officers arrested six men and 13 women, aged 22 to 62, found or suspected to be working illegally and six employers who allegedly hired them. Thirteen of those arrested held tourist visas – 11 from... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3347280/5-jailed-20-more-arrested-hong-kong-crackdown-illegal-employment?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/education/article/3347280/5-jailed-20-more-arrested-hong-kong-crackdown-illegal-employment?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 06:51:46 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong customs officers have arrested five people and seized 2,500 pairs of suspected counterfeit eyewear worth about HK$2.2 million (US$280,680) in a citywide operation. Officers from the Customs and Excise Department carried out the special enforcement action on Tuesday and Wednesday, targeting the sale of counterfeit goods. Officers raided five retail shops in Cheung Sha Wan, Kwai Shing, Tsuen Wan and Fanling, as well as a supplier in Kwun Tong, seizing the items with the assistance of... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347205/hong-kong-customs-arrests-5-people-seizes-hk22-million-counterfeit-eyewear?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347205/hong-kong-customs-arrests-5-people-seizes-hk22-million-counterfeit-eyewear?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 13:42:09 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong police have arrested 16 more people, including paralegals, over traffic accident compensation claims worth more than HK$3.6 million (US$459,290) tied to a wave of “crash-for-cash” scams. The suspects, 11 men and five women aged 28 to 65, included three paralegals at a law firm in Mong Kok that was raided last month, the force said on Thursday. The other suspects were the claimants and worked in a variety of jobs, including IT technician, beautician, logistics worker, tutor, property... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347196/paralegals-among-16-people-arrested-over-crash-cash-scams-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347196/paralegals-among-16-people-arrested-over-crash-cash-scams-hong-kong?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:15:56 +0000 Jess Ma Jess Ma Hong Kong businessman Jason Poon Chuk-hung, his wife and four others have been arrested on suspicion of defrauding an enterprise financing scheme out of HK$6 million (US$765,500) during the Covid-19 pandemic, the South China Morning Post has learned. A source confirmed to the SCMP on Thursday that construction businessman Poon, 56, and his 54-year-old wife were among six people arrested the day before for conspiracy to defraud. Police intelligence suggested a surgical mask manufacturer had... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347113/hong-kong-businessman-jason-poon-5-others-arrested-hk6-million-fraud-case?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347113/hong-kong-businessman-jason-poon-5-others-arrested-hk6-million-fraud-case?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 19 Mar 2026 04:28:22 +0000 Danny Mok Danny Mok Hong Kong authorities have raided three illegal fuelling stations and arrested two men, seizing more than 1,800 litres (475.5 gallons) of petrol with an estimated market value of HK$54,000 (US$6,891) as oil prices continue to spike amid the widening conflict in the Middle East. The joint crackdown by the Fire Services Department and the Customs and Excise Department in the past week also led to the detention of three vehicles and the arrest of a suspected station operator and... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347077/2-hongkongers-held-after-raids-3-illegal-fuel-stations-amid-oil-price-spike?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3347077/2-hongkongers-held-after-raids-3-illegal-fuel-stations-amid-oil-price-spike?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 18 Mar 2026 15:19:46 +0000