Hong Kong police arrest 2 men over HK$1.7 million Kowloon break-in spree

Hong Kong police have arrested two men over their alleged involvement in at least six break-ins across Kowloon over the past three months, with total losses amounting to HK$1.7 million (US$216,629).

The pair – a 54-year-old mainland Chinese man and a 34-year-old Hong Kong resident – were arrested separately on Thursday in Sham Shui Po and Tsim Sha Tsui, respectively.

Police identified and located them following a break-in targeting four flats in a private residential building on Farm Road in Kowloon City, where more than HK$100,000 in cash and watches, as well as some credit cards, were stolen.

At a press briefing on Friday, Tsang Ka-chun, a senior inspector with the Kowloon City district crime squad, said police attached great importance to the case and were able to identify and locate the two suspects after reviewing surveillance camera footage.

Initial investigations showed that the pair generally targeted private residential homes with unlocked windows or doors, while the flats were unoccupied at night.

“The mainland man would break into the flats and steal valuables. He would subsequently hand over the stolen credit cards to the Hong Kong man, who used them to make online purchases totalling around HK$30,000,” Tsang said.

“After subsequent investigations, detectives also believe the duo are connected with at least five burglary cases that took place in Kowloon City and Cheung Sha Wan between July and October,” he added.

In those cases, about HK$1.6 million in cash, handbags and jewellery were stolen.

The mainlander was arrested for attempted burglary and illegal immigration, while the local man was arrested for handling stolen goods and obtaining property by deception.

During Thursday’s operation, officers seized cash, credit cards and valuables, as well as clothes and shoes believed to belong to the suspects.

The two men remained in police custody for questioning on Friday evening.

Tsang urged flat owners to remain vigilant and take simple precautions, such as locking windows and doors before leaving home, and to install surveillance cameras.

Under the Theft Ordinance, the maximum penalty upon conviction for burglary or handling stolen goods is 14 years’ imprisonment, while obtaining property by deception carries a maximum sentence of 10 years.

Hong Kong logged 344 burglary cases in the first half of 2026, down 22.7 per cent from 445 in the same period last year, according to police statistics.

Burglaries fell to a record low of 818 cases, a 33.1 per cent year-on-year drop, in 2025.