Hong Kong police arrested five men after thwarting their attempt to rob a jewellery shop in the shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui. No property was stolen.
Five men aged between 23 and 35 were apprehended at a jewellery store on Hankow Road at around noon on Tuesday, police sad. Officers seized two knives, three hammers and a red, white and blue plastic bag as evidence.
According to the police, officers were sent to the scene to “ambush” the suspects after receiving reports of a suspected robbery attempt.
The five masked suspects arrived at the scene in a white private car, with three holding a hammer in their hands, while the other two held sharp knives.
They broke two display cabinets after entering the shop, crime unit superintendent Gar Kam-lam of the Kowloon West Regional Headquarters told reporters hours after the arrests.
Detectives held a gun to caution the suspects at one point and subdued them by hand, Gar said, adding that a suspect’s face was scratched during the encounter.
One of the suspects carried an identification document and two held recognizance papers, which are issued to asylum seekers. The remaining two suspects had no identification documents and were suspected to be illegal immigrants, Gar said.
The arrestees were brought to the Tsim Sha Tsui Division Police Station for investigation.
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