Hong Kong police arrested five men after thwarting their attempt to rob a jewellery shop in the shopping district of Tsim Sha Tsui. No property was stolen.

Hong Kong Police
The Hong Kong Police Force emblem. Photo: Candice Chau/HKFP.

Five men aged between 23 and 35 were apprehended at a jewellery store on Hankow Road at around noon on Tuesday, police sad. Officers seized two knives, three hammers and a red, white and blue plastic bag as evidence.

According to the police, officers were sent to the scene to “ambush” the suspects after receiving reports of a suspected robbery attempt.

The five masked suspects arrived at the scene in a white private car, with three holding a hammer in their hands, while the other two held sharp knives.

They broke two display cabinets after entering the shop, crime unit superintendent Gar Kam-lam of the Kowloon West Regional Headquarters told reporters hours after the arrests.

Superintendent Gar Kam-lam of the Kowloon West Regional Headquarters crime unit meets the press on May 7, 2024. Photo: Hong Kong Police, via Facebook.
Superintendent Gar Kam-lam of the Kowloon West Regional Headquarters crime unit meets the press on May 7, 2024. Photo: Hong Kong Police, via Facebook.

Detectives held a gun to caution the suspects at one point and subdued them by hand, Gar said, adding that a suspect’s face was scratched during the encounter.

One of the suspects carried an identification document and two held recognizance papers, which are issued to asylum seekers. The remaining two suspects had no identification documents and were suspected to be illegal immigrants, Gar said.

The arrestees were brought to the Tsim Sha Tsui Division Police Station for investigation.

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Ho Long Sze Kelly is a Hong Kong-based journalist covering politics, criminal justice, human rights, social welfare and education. As a Senior Reporter at Hong Kong Free Press, she has covered the aftermath of the 2019 extradition bill protests and the Covid-19 pandemic extensively, as well as documented the transformation of her home city under the Beijing-imposed national security law.

Kelly has a bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Hong Kong, with a second major in Politics and Public Administration. Prior to joining HKFP in 2020, she was on the frontlines covering the 2019 citywide unrest for South China Morning Post’s Young Post. She also covered sports and youth-related issues.