Closed Hung Hom coffin shop reports bizarre swap theft
On.cc · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A bizarre theft was reported at a closed longevity goods shop on Cooke Street in Hung Hom after the shop’s only remaining coffin was allegedly stolen and replaced with a fake one left in the same spot. Police received the report at 11:17am on August 18 and classified the case as theft after attending the ground-floor premises at 17 Cooke Street.
Key Points
- The shop’s person in charge, identified as Mr Chan, said he returned on the morning of August 18 and found the premium coffin missing from the closed premises.
- He said the business had operated for 50 years and stopped trading about two and a half years ago after he, as the estate heir, decided to take back the shop.
- During the early closure period, he went back weekly because more than 100, or about 100 to 200, ancestral ash urns were still stored inside for family collection.
- Mr Chan said most urns have since been claimed, so he had reduced his visits before discovering the suspected swap while returning to clean after neighbours complained of a foul smell
- The missing adult-sized coffin, described in the trade as a “Fu Gui” or premium style, was valued at about HK$20,000 to HK$30,000, while Mr Chan suspected a former employee may have been involved.
Why It Matters
The case stands out because the alleged thief did not simply remove the coffin but appears to have staged a replacement, suggesting prior knowledge of the premises and its contents. It also raises questions about security risks at long-closed shops that are visited only occasionally and may still contain valuable funeral-related stock