Wong Tai Sin fortune-telling stall burgled overnight
HK01 · 3 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago4 MIN
Summary
A fortune-stick interpretation stall outside Wong Tai Sin Temple on Lung Cheung Road was discovered to have been broken into at about 7:48am on Tuesday, 29 September, when the operator returned to open for business. The lock cylinder and shutter were found damaged, the interior had been ransacked, and cash kept for daily trade was missing.
Key Points
- The stall operator, a fortune-teller surnamed Sham (岑), said he could not open the shutter with his key and then found the keyhole had been damaged.
- After lifting the shutter, he found signs of a search inside, including opened drawers and a disorderly stall, and called police for help at 7:48am.
- Police classified the case as burglary and said they were trying to track down the thief after attending the scene outside Wong Tai Sin Temple on Lung Cheung Road.
- Reported losses were about HK$4,000 in cash overall, including more than HK$3,000 in Hong Kong dollars and about RMB700 kept in drawers.
- Sham said he closed the stall at about 4pm on 28 September with nothing unusual noticed, had operated there for more than a decade without prior theft, and now planned to add another lock.
Why It Matters
The case points to a practical security gap for small temple-side stalls that keep change on site overnight, especially where only a single shutter lock is used. It may also prompt nearby operators to review locking arrangements after Sham said there was no extra lock and no overnight camera footage because the area loses power at night.