Pickpockets warning after Japanese tourists robbed in TST

Stacy Shi

Tourists in Hong Kong are again being warned of snatchers and pickpockets operating in sightseeing and shopping districts.

With Japanese visitors targeted in Tsim Sha Tsui recently, a notice was posted on the Japan consulate's website this week, advising its nationals to protect their belongings by avoiding use of their smart phones and listening to music when touring around Hong Kong.

The consulate said it has received reports from several tourists about being robbed.

Two Japanese fell victim in Tsim Sha Tsui, with one having his bag snatched by someone in a passing vehicle and another the target of a pickpocket.

The consulate noted that the number of thefts recorded in Hong Kong from January to February this year increased markedly from the corresponding period last year, which included pickpocketing rising considerably.

"Theft syndicates often wait for their targets at the entrances and exits of restrooms in sports arenas or shopping malls and commit theft when a victim is distracted," the warning notice also read.

The consulate urged all Japanese in Hong Kong to be careful with their belongings, with anti-thief measures including the holding of backpacks in their arms in crowded places, keeping valuables, wallets and passports and wallets in separate bags and attempting to keep all their belongings in plain sight.

People can call the 999 emergency line if being robbed, the consulate added, and meanwhile stay alert to prevent theft.

According to Hong Kong police 3,341 thefts were recorded in January and February, up 37 percent from 2,442 cases from the corresponding months last year.

Fifty-one pickpocketing cases were recorded, a year on year increase of 96 percent. And the number of people arrested in connection with thefts rose nearly 30 percent from 953 to 1,237.

Police had earlier declared that the number of thefts was riding with society gradually returning to normal as pandemic measures wound down and overall economic activity increased, causing more people to try to make a quick profit through theft.

Police also said they would continue to conduct intelligence-led operations and deploy resources flexibly against street-level crimes such as robbery, including snatching.

"Take Tsim Sha Tsui Division as an example," the force said. "Its task force sub-unit has been deployed for enhanced patrols at night and the small hours to target these crimes."

The force also said it would step up crime prevention work for tourists as well as the general public. There was also another call for people to report to police when suspicious characters or vehicles are seen.

Still, legislator Gary Chan Hak-kan of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong said he believes the SAR to be the safest place in Asia and argued that individual incidents cannot be taken as a sign of poor law and order.