Airport arrests after Chai Wan MTR depot graffiti break-in
HK01 · 11 SOURCESabout 11 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Police said two foreign men were arrested in the departure restricted area of Hong Kong International Airport on Wednesday evening after an alleged break-in at the Chai Wan MTR depot and graffiti damage to a parked train. The case was reported at about 2pm, when depot staff found two large graffiti pieces and spotted two suspicious men in reflective vests near the train. Investigators said the suspects fled by climbing over a three-metre wall, but officers traced them through extensive CCTV review, including cameras under the Project Hawkeye scheme, and arrested them about six hours later. Newer reports said the men were aged 30 and 34, with one identified as an American and the other as an Australian, correcting earlier reports that gave one suspect's age as 40.
Key Points
- Police said the men entered the Chai Wan depot after cutting anti-intrusion wiring or barbed security wire on the perimeter wall, then spray-painted two large murals on a parked train.
- The graffiti measured about one metre by five metres each; one report said the designs were painted in green, yellow and pink on two carriages.
- Depot staff conducting inspections found the vandalism at about 2pm on Wednesday, and the suspects then escaped toward Shing Tai Road or nearby Heng Fa Chuen after scaling a three-metre wall.
- Officers recovered nine spray-paint cans, a wooden ladder and two high-visibility vests at the scene, and later found clothing believed worn during the offence in the suspects' luggage.
- Police arrested the pair for suspected criminal damage at about 8pm in the airport departure area before separate flights to the United States and Australia; the case is being handled by Eastern District crime squad.
Why It Matters
Police described the MTR depot as critical infrastructure and said the case involved damage to depot fencing, trespass into railway premises and vandalism inside the rail system. Officers also warned that criminal damage is punishable by up to 10 years' imprisonment on conviction, while unlawful entry into railway property can endanger safety and disrupt facilities or services.