Robber threatens Hong Kong money changer with grenade, flees with over HK$150,000
In separate hold-up, six men take HK$4 million worth of mobile phones
PUBLISHED : Tuesday, 12 July, 2016, 6:13pm
UPDATED : Tuesday, 12 July, 2016, 6:13pm
Clifford Lo
A robber fled with more than HK$150,000 in Hong Kong and mainland banknotes from a money exchange shop in Wan Chai after threatening staff with what appeared to be a grenade on Tuesday.
Police said the hold-up happened at Hui’s Brothers money exchange shop on the ground floor of Shun Feng International Centre on Queen’s Road East at about 3pm Tuesday.
“The robber showed an employee what appeared to be a grenade, claiming it was genuine and demanding money,” a source said.
The Cantonese-speaking robber, carrying a rucksack, was handed over about HK$100,000 and 50,000 yuan, and then fled.
Officers including a Police Tactical Unit team combed the area, but no arrests were made.
Police said the robber stood about 1.6 metres tall. He was wearing a cap and sunglasses at the time of the robbery.
Crime-squad officers from Wan Chai police station were investigating.
Separately on Tuesday, six men of South Asian descent escaped with HK$4 million worth of mobile phones from an industrial building in Kwun Tong after threatening an employee with cutters.
The robbery happened in a unit of Treasure Centre on Hung To Road at about 2.30pm.
Police said initial investigation showed the six threatened a male employee with cutters and locked him inside a room.
The gang escaped with six boxes of mobile phones worth HK$4 million before the employee managed to open the door and call police. Officers mounted a search, but no arrests were made.
Police figures showed that reports of robbery in the city rose by 31.4 per cent to 92 in the first four months of this year, up from 70 over the same period last year.
