Hong Kong police hunt for armed gang who stole HK$1.8 million in daring To Kwa Wan hold-up - in second such robbery in Kowloon City this month

2019-5-20

Police say attackers appeared familiar with the victim and knew when he would arrive at money exchange shop

Victim taken to hospital with wounds to head and arms

Police were searching on Monday for an armed gang who attacked a man in a daring daylight robbery in To Kwa Wan.

The robbery - the second such hold-up in the Kowloon City district this month - took place outside a money exchange shop at the junction of Mok Cheong Street and Ma Tau Chung Road at about 1.30pm.

A police source said "the victim had a bag robbed in an attack by three to four men who carried either a knife or a pipe".

The bag contained about HK$1.8 million [US$229,342] in cash, according to the source. He said the robbers fled in a getaway vehicle before officers arrived.

Police said the victim had wounds on his head and arms. He was taken to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Yau Ma Tei.

The source said the robbers were masked at the time of the assault and appeared to be familiar with their target and when he would arrive at the shop.

Police said at about 2.45pm that they were still searching for the robbers.

On May 2, two robbers attacked a 53-year-old man with a knife outside Whampoa MTR station at the junction of Hung Hom Road and Tak Man Street, which is about 2km away from the scene of Monday's crime.

In the earlier robbery, attackers made off with a backpack holding HK$4 million but passers-by stopped one of the assailants after a brief chase and the money was recovered.

Source: SCMP