Hong Kong police hunt 10 people over HK$15m Christmas Eve money grab
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 29 January, 2015, 3:26am
UPDATED : Thursday, 29 January, 2015, 3:26am
Clifford Lo [email protected]
Police arrest suspects in Kowloon. Photo: Dickson Lee
A police hunt is on for about 10 people captured by security cameras taking part in a Christmas Eve money grab as police press their first theft charges over the case.
The individuals had dashed onto a busy Wan Chai road to pick up HK$15.23 million worth of banknotes that had spilled out of the back of an armoured vehicle hired by a bank.
"We have clear images of these people," a police source said. "We are searching for them through different channels."
Cash is strewn over Gloucester Road in Wan Chai. Photo: SCMP
More than HK$7.1 million remained missing five weeks after the incident, a police spokeswoman said. The Wan Chai district crime squad is investigating the case.
The source said it was possible the roughly 10 people wanted by the police had picked up most of the cash that was missing.
"One bundle of HK$500 notes amounts to HK$500,000 and it is just as big as a brick. If each of them took one bundle, that could account for HK$5 million."
Cash is strewn over Gloucester Road in Wan Chai. Photo: SCMP
To date, officers poring over hundreds of CCTV tapes have arrested seven people - six men and one woman - and recovered about HK$160,000 stashed under a bed at the home of one of the suspects. Two of the seven were charged with theft when they reported back to police yesterday. They will appear in Eastern Court today and tomorrow.
Three cash boxes fell onto Gloucester Road when the rear door of a G4S vehicle slid open. Since then, 46 people have voluntarily returned HK$7.92 million. It is believed one of them handed in two bundles worth HK$1 million.
According to police, there was no evidence to back up news reports that mainland tourists had left their coaches and helped themselves to the money.
