Police announced on Saturday (Aug 9) the arrest of two local men who were involved in a luxury watch scam, attempting to swipe two timepieces valued at over HK$4.5 million from a bogus repair center in Tsim Sha Tsui.
The incident took place around 6pm on Monday (Aug 4). Two Chinese individuals reported that their two high-value watches, Patek Philippe and Richard Mille -- with an estimated worth of over HK$4.5 million -- had been stolen during a transaction at a watch repair shop in the Peninsula Center.
Reports indicate that the shop staff deceived the victims by placing their watches in a specially designed safe, accompanied by a large bag of cash to gain their trust.
Claiming a malfunction with the currency-counter machine, the staff then stole the watches via the safe with back door access and escaped.
The victims soon realized their watches were stolen when the staff did not return, leaving behind one real HK$1,000 note, while the rest were counterfeit "practice vouchers."
Following the report, officers launched an investigation and discovered that the involved shop had two interconnected rooms accessible from both sides.
Separated by a temporary wall, a modified safe embedded in the wall featured a 20x20cm opening connecting the two rooms.
Upon reviewing surveillance footage, police discovered that one accomplice had arrived at the scene early that afternoon and had been hiding inside the shop until the other “staff” placed the victims' watches in the safe.
After stealing the watches, the accomplice reportedly boarded a prearranged van and sold one of the watches for HK$1.73 million at a shop on Nathan Road before fleeing to Macau via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge.
Two staff members, aged 34 and 43, were arrested on Friday (Aug 8). They are currently detained for further investigation, facing a charge of conspiracy to defraud. It is reported that another 58-year-old accomplice was arrested upon entering Macau due to a similar luxury watch scam.
The police have successfully recovered the sold watch, along with HK$60,000 in suspected illicit funds.
The operations are still ongoing.
