'Fence' nabbed in ring behind road sign raids

A 53-year-old man has been arrested for fencing stolen road signs after he was found in possession of one of the 10 "T-shaped" road signs installed during colonial times that had been stolen in Sham Shui Po, Tai Kok Tsui and Kowloon City.

The arrest is the second breakthrough since their disappearance were first reported on July 18 in Sham Shui Po. The Highways Department filed a police report last month after discovering five signs had been taken.

After arresting a 49-year-old local on August 17, police picked up the 53-year-old six days later for acting as an intermediary to resell the signs.

Wei Wing-kit, acting chief inspector of the Sham Shui Po investigation team, said police believe the suspects stole the signs and sold them to people yet to be identified for a few thousand each.

Similar incidents have also occurred in Mong Kok and Kowloon City.

Officers retrieved a Wai On Street sign on Monday from the rooftop of a tenement building in Fuk Wa Street, Sham Shui Po, which is believed to been abandoned there due to high-profile arrests and appeals by the police.

It is understood that 10 of 29 signs, which have a history of more than 60 years, in West Kowloon were stolen.

The thieves are believed to work in pairs as the road signs are too heavy to be removed by just one person.

"One person is responsible for unscrewing the signs on a ladder, and the other on the ground catches it."

The force also believes there are different people responsible for stealing, reselling and collecting the signs, and the 53-year-old suspect did not steal the Wai On Street sign.

Wei condemned the thefts and described them as selfish and violations of the law.

"The road signs are of great cultural significance in the historical development of Hong Kong," he said.

"They are not only the property of the government but also the property of the community," Wei said.

According to the Theft Ordinance, people found guilty of theft are liable to up to 10 years' imprisonment while those convicted of handling stolen goods face up to 14 years.