Police recover HK$30 million gold after hotel swap theft
HK01 · 5 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago5 MIN
Summary
Police in Hong Kong say they have recovered all 30 kilograms of stolen gold, worth about HK$30 million, after a suspected “switch” theft at a hotel in Kwun Tong on 7 October. Investigators allege the mastermind was the victim’s travelling companion, who allegedly let two accomplices into the room while the victim stepped out for a brief smoking break, replacing the gold with eight bottles of fabric softener in about two minutes.
Key Points
- Kwun Tong district police received a report in the early hours of 7 October from a mainland Chinese man staying in a hotel with a friend.
- The complainant said 30 kilograms of gold granules worth about HK$30 million in a suitcase had been replaced by eight bottles of similar-weight fabric softener.
- Chief Inspector Tang Tsz-hin (鄧子軒) said investigators believed the companion planned the theft, booked an adjacent room and arranged two men to carry out the swap.
- Police said the suspects changed transport repeatedly after the theft, but officers used extensive CCTV footage, including footage from the Sharp Eye scheme, to identify all three men within hours.
- One suspect was arrested in Tai Po at midday on 7 October, leading officers to a guesthouse room where all the stolen gold was recovered, while another was arrested at Lo Wu Control Point trying to leave Hong Kong.
Why It Matters
The case shows how quickly high-value goods can be moved through hotels and across districts, and how investigators are increasingly relying on dense CCTV coverage to reconstruct suspects’ movements. Police have also warned that theft is a serious offence carrying a maximum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment on conviction, while the alleged mastermind is still being sought after leaving Hong Kong before the report was made