Hong Kong police hunt claw machine cash thief
SCMP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago1 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong police are investigating a theft at an unmanned claw machine shop in Tai Kok Tsui after a man allegedly used a key to open four cash boxes and take about HK$10,000. The shop owner reported the case on Sunday after seeing the incident through the store’s surveillance system.
Key Points
- Police said the 46-year-old owner, surnamed Cheung, filed a report at about 11.10am on Sunday after seeing the theft on cameras at 159 Tai Kok Tsui Road
- According to Cheung, a man in his thirties used a key to open deposit boxes in four claw machines and fled with the cash
- CCTV footage circulating online showed the suspect entering the unstaffed shop at about 7.35am, checking the area and pulling out a bunch of keys
- The man failed with one key, then opened a drawer with another, emptied money into a black bag and repeated the process at three more machines
- He could not open a fifth machine and left after less than 90 seconds; police are trying to identify him and learn how he got the key
Why It Matters
The case points to a possible security weakness at unmanned claw machine shops, where access to cash boxes may depend on key control and surveillance response. It also comes a week after police arrested three men over a separate claw machine theft in Tai Wai involving about HK$70,000 worth of Jellycat dolls and other plush toys allegedly taken for resale