Police suspect an acid attack in Sai Wan Ho was motivated by revenge or triads, with no links to similar incidents in Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po.The victim of Sunday's attack was a food-stall operator surnamed Lam, who has been selling fried noodles on the ground floor of Tai On House, at 57 Shau Kei Wan Road, for more than a decade.
Lam, 47, and a partner operate the stall from 8pm to 2am nightly. They have also rented an area in the back alley of 137-138 Sai Wan Ho Road for storage and food preparation.
Lam was resting at 138 Sai Wan Ho Road about 11pm on Sunday when he suddenly felt a sharp pain on his back and leg. A broken health drink bottle containing acid had been dropped next to him, and the attacker had fled.
Lam was taken to Eastern Hospital for treatment. He returned to the scene yesterday afternoon to assist with the police investigation.
It was initially suspected the bottle may have been thrown from a building, but this possibility was ruled out since the area is covered by a canopy which showed no burn marks.
Forensic officers later concluded the acid was thrown from the entrance of the alley.
A source said a cart Lam stored was burned just two days earlier. Residents said other carts belonging to Lam had been torched before.
Police suspect the latest attack may be related to a business dispute or triad activities.
The case has been passed to the Organized Crime And Triad Bureau.
Eastern District police chief inspector (crime) Chow S
iu-tong said there was no evidence to suggest the Lam case was linked to the attacks in Mong Kong and Sham Shui Po.However, police plan to conduct a full investigation that will include interviewing residents and business owners in the vicinity.
Meanwhile, Sham Shui Po district commander Nelson Lui Hon-kwok told the district council that police are trying to track down the caller who made a false report that a bottle containing corrosive liquid had been thrown from a building at 303 Tai Nan Street.
Lui also said police had obtained CCTV recordings from 34 businesses near 185 Apliu Street, where a beer bottle containing corrosive fluid was thrown from a six-story building last Friday.
The data will be analyzed by a super computer and compared with those from the three earlier incidents in Mong Kok.
Lui did not rule out the possibility of a copycat offender, and said police will soon announce details of a reward.
A number of councillors said residents had expressed fears of more such offenses, and called for the installation of a CCTV system and increased police patrols.
