6 arrested, including 3 Japanese nationals, over robbery involving over 50 million yen

Six people including three Japanese nationals have been arrested in connection with a robbery involving over 50 million yen in Sheung Wan yesterday.

This as the police recovered some 11 million yen of the stolen cash.

The robbery took place on Des Voeux Road Central in Sheung Wan on Friday, with the police having already recovered around 20 percent of the stolen cash and the bag that was used to carry them.

In a briefing on Saturday afternoon, the police said two employees of a Japanese company were carrying 190 million yen's worth of cash, or around 10 million Hong Kong dollars, to a currency exchange shop in Central hoping to exchange them for local currency to purchase precious metals.

At around 9:30 a.m. Friday, they were ambushed by two men when they got off a taxi in Sheung Wan, with the robbers stealing one bag containing 51 million yen, or about 2.5 million Hong Kong dollars.

Police investigations revealed the criminals attempted to flee from the city by plane on the same day and immediately deployed officers to pursue the robbers at the airport.

Two Japanese nationals suspected to be the robbers and a mainland woman were arrested with officers seizing around 4.6 million yen's worth of cash on the spot.

Further investigations indicated that a portion of the stolen cash had already been transferred.

Authorities later arrested two cryptocurrency shop employees in Tsim Sha Tsui, and seized another 7 million yen's worth of cash at another currency exchange shop.

Officers then arrested the 27-year-old Japanese national who claimed to be the victim of the robbery, suspecting him of being an accomplice.

The police said the robbers were familiar with the route travelled by the victim, adding certain individuals' testimonies were contradictory.

This as Japanese media earlier reported two robberies in Tokyo that involved the transport of yen to Hong Kong.

The Police noted they will contact relevant counterparts in Japan if necessary.

Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Joe Chow addressed the string of robberies in the city over the last one and a half months by increasing patrols around currency exchange shops and jewellery stores.