37 years on the run: Final suspect in 1989 HK murder case held in Thailand

A man wanted in connection with a high-profile 1989 Hong Kong murder has been arrested in Thailand after 37 years on the run, with extradition to Hong Kong expected as early as tomorrow.

According to Thai media, Thai police arrested the 62-year-old suspect, identified as Mui Yiu-keung, on Monday (Feb 2) following a request from the Hong Kong government.

Upon his arrest, Mui reportedly said he had no identification documents and admitted that he was the fugitive sought by Hong Kong authorities. He also confirmed that he arrived in Thailand in 1994.

Mui told police that he had previously operated a small factory in Samut Prakan, married a Thai woman, and raised three children. However, authorities later confirmed that he had most recently opened an eatery in the Lam Phak Chi sub-district of Nong Chok.

Thai media reported that the suspect declined to comment on the Hong Kong murder case and has been charged locally with illegal immigration. Extradition procedures are now underway.

Mui was the last of four suspects in the murder of a man in Hong Kong on August 31, 1989, in a case commonly known as the “Lung Ha Wan murder.”

According to records, Mui allegedly recruited three other suspects to seek revenge against a man surnamed Lui, who was 26 at the time and believed to have been responsible for Mui’s earlier imprisonment.

Lui was reportedly beaten with an iron shovel for about 20 minutes. His head was subsequently wrapped in a plastic bag, and his body was bound with nylon rope and packing tape.

The victim’s body was partially buried at Lung Ha Wan in Sai Kung. Examinations later found burn marks on his chest and a fractured skull.

Two suspects were arrested shortly after the crime. One, a 25-year-old man surnamed Choi, was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to eight years in prison. Another suspect, a 19-year-old man surnamed Suen, was released.

The third suspect, surnamed Yeung, was arrested in mainland China in 2000 after evading capture for a decade by fleeing to Thailand. He was later convicted of murder in 2001 and sentenced to life imprisonment.