Two arrested in Causeway Bay over HK$53,000 theft and dine-and-dash spree
Police arrested two men in Causeway Bay on 30 October for a series of thefts and a dine-and-dash totalling HK$53,000. A 50-year-old suspect allegedly took jobs at stores to steal cash; a 43-year-old is charged with handling stolen goods.
Police have arrested two men in Causeway Bay in connection with a string of thefts totalling about HK$53,000, in which a suspect allegedly took up jobs at convenience stores and supermarkets to steal cash and walked out on an eatery without settling the bill.
The arrests followed an investigation into five separate reports lodged between September and October across Hong Kong Island and Kowloon, with officers eventually linking the offences to a single suspect. Store owners from convenience stores, supermarkets and eateries across Eastern and Yau Tsim districts had reported several incidents of suspected employee theft and unpaid dining.
Inquiries and intelligence analysis revealed that a 50-year-old local man was involved in five cases, comprising three shop theft cases in Eastern District, one shop theft case in Yau Tsim District, and one incident of dining without payment at a restaurant in Eastern District. Police noted that the suspect targeted retail outlets by applying for frontline positions, securing employment, and subsequently stealing cash from the registers or store premises before fleeing. A second suspect, aged 43, was implicated in receiving and handling the stolen proceeds.
Officers tracked down the suspects on 30 October along the pedestrian walkway on Hennessy Road, outside Causeway Bay Plaza 1. A photograph circulating on social media platform Threads showed three plainclothes police officers subduing the two suspects on the pavement around 6pm. In the image, one suspect knelt on the ground while the other, dressed in what appeared to be a courier company uniform, was pinned face-down. Both men had their hands cuffed behind their backs as onlookers passed by during the evening rush hour.
Officers arrested the 50-year-old local man on suspicion of theft, while the 43-year-old local man was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen goods. Both suspects remain detained for further questioning. The case is being handled by the Eastern District Criminal Investigation Team 3.