HK$30 Million Gold Swapped for Fabric Softener in Hotel Theft, Two Arrested
Police arrested two men after HK$30 million worth of gold was stolen from a mainland Chinese trader in a Kwun Tong hotel and replaced with fabric softener. The suspects allegedly planned the theft, with one fleeing before the victim reported it.
Police have cracked a theft case involving HK$30 million worth of gold, arresting two men in connection with the crime. The incident came to light yesterday morning when a mainland Chinese man reported to police that approximately 30 kilograms of gold pellets, valued at around HK$30 million, had been stolen from his luggage while he and a male companion were staying at a hotel in Kwun Tong.
According to the victim, the gold had been replaced with eight bottles of fabric softener of similar weight. The companion, who was known to the victim, had disappeared. Police launched an investigation and, after reviewing extensive closed-circuit television footage, arrested a man in Tai Po yesterday afternoon. A room card for a guesthouse in the district was found on him, and all the stolen gold was recovered from the room.
Another suspect was arrested at the Lo Wu control point while attempting to leave Hong Kong. Police described the crime as meticulously planned, with the alleged mastermind—the victim's friend—having arranged for two other men to purchase fabric softener in advance and book an adjacent hotel room. When the victim went downstairs for a cigarette, the friend allegedly opened the door to allow the two men to enter and steal the gold.
After the theft, the suspects used different modes of transport in an attempt to mislead police. Senior Inspector Tang Tsz-hin of the Kwun Tong Criminal Investigation Unit said the two arrested men, aged 27 and 41, are Chinese nationals holding two-way permits and are being detained for questioning. The victim also holds a two-way permit and had come to Hong Kong to trade gold through licensed institutions.
Police believe the friend, who had known the victim for several months, had already left Hong Kong before the theft was reported. A manhunt is underway for him.