Police hunt suspected drug trafficker who escaped during trip to toilet
Roadblocks in place in Pat Heung and officers 'very concerned' after suspect sprints from police-station toilet and disappears
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 13 February, 2014, 2:32pm
UPDATED : Thursday, 13 February, 2014, 2:34pm
Clifford Lo [email protected]
Drug-trafficking suspect Yiu Chiu-fung escaped police custody on Thursday morning. Photo: Hong Kong Police
A 27-year-old man arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking is being hunted by police after he escaped from Pat Heung police station on Thursday morning.
Yiu Chiu-fung outran an officer who had escorted him to the toilet in the police station in Kam Tin Main Road, Pat Heung at about 7am.
Officers say they mounted a search in Pat Heung, Yuen Long and Tai Po, but found no trace of the suspect. It is understood roadblocks have been set up in the area.
Yiu, a Hong Kong resident, is broad and stocky and has short hair. He was wearing a light-coloured long-sleeve shirt and carrying a black shoulder bag at the time of his escape.
“Police are very concerned,” a police spokeswoman said.
Officers have appealed for anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts to contact police on 3661 1680.
The Yuen Long district crime squad has been tasked with finding Yiu and investigating the escape.
Yiu had been arrested shortly after midnight on Thursday after he had acted suspiciously during a stop-and-search outside Kat Hing Wai on Kam Tin Road, Pat Heung.
Police seized a packet containing white powder, believed to be an illegal drug, during the search.
Liu was arrested on suspicion of drug trafficking and taken to Pat Heung police station on Kam Tin Main Road for inquiries.
Before he was taken to a cell at about 7am, he told police that he wanted to go to the toilet.
Without being handcuffed, he was escorted by a policeman to the toilet. “He suddenly ran out of the toilet and fled on foot,” a police officer said.
At 1.30pm on Thursday a police spokeswoman said the man was still at large.