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Man arrested after attempted robbery of mainland Chinese visitor on Hong Kong street


Arrested man's accomplice escapes on foot after passers-by intervene in Yuen Long attack, in which victim was beaten over the head

A man was arrested after he and an accomplice hit a mainland Chinese tourist over the head and tried to snatch his rucksack containing HK$80,000 (US$10,200) on a busy street in Hong Kong on Wednesday.

Passers-by including an off-duty policeman helped to stop and subdue the would-be thief – a South Asian asylum seeker – according to police. The other man, believed to also be South Asian, escaped empty-handed before officers arrived.

The pair attacked the 42-year-old mainlander outside a money exchange store in Yuen Long, on Castle Peak Road, shortly before midday, according to police.

A police spokesman said the man "was struck on the head with a hard object before the two robbers tried to snatch his rucksack". He said the pair gave up on the robbery and fled when the victim struggled and shouted for help, alerting passers-by, who gave chase.

After a brief pursuit, one of the suspects was stopped and pinned to the floor before officers arrived and handcuffed him. Police arrested him on suspicion of assault with intent to rob. The other man had run off.

According to the spokesman, the victim had a head injury and was taken to the nearby Pok Oi Hospital. His assailants had not managed to rob anything.

By Wednesday night, the suspect was being detained at Yuen Long Police Station for questioning and had not been charged.

Source: SCMP