Pharmacy staff beaten, bloodied by TST protection gang

Two staff of a newly opened Tsim Sha Tsui pharmacy were badly beaten by a gang of six after their boss had earlier refused to pay a monthly protection fee.

He later agreed to only pay a lump sum of HK$70,000 instead of about HK$30,000 each month, but three of his staff, were still being attacked around midnight yesterday.

The three were attacked by five to six masked men armed with knives and iron bars, on the pavement opposite to the store Nathan Road when they were leaving the shop.

One of victims managed to escape but his two colleagues, aged 34 and 36, were injured while the attackers escaped in a white seven-seater vehicle and fled towards Salisbury Road.

The pharmacy on the ground floor of Holiday Inn Golden Mile on Nathan Road, was still open yesterday after the attack but the blood stains had been washed away.

One of the injured fell to the ground in a pool of blood, he sustained head and hands injuries.

Pedestrians who witnessed the incident helped to stop the bleeding of the two injured staff and reported to the police.

Upon arrival, paramedics bandaged the two injured men. They were sent to Queen Elizabeth Hospital for treatment.

The 36-year-old staff surnamed Chong sustained head and hand injuries while the 34-year-old, surnamed Choi received hands and knees injuries.

The pharmacy boss claimed the attack was related to the extortion of money.

He said three months after he opened the shop, he was extorted by members of a protection racket for HK$20,000 to HK$30,000 per month. He said he did not pay any protection money at that time. But after negotiation, he agreed to settle the matter by paying a lump sum of HK$70,000.

However, he said: "We still got beaten up after we paid the money." He also said he was not clear about the background of the attackers.

It is understood it was not the first time the shop had been harassed. The boss said one of his staff had been followed from the pharmacy to his home.

Officers of the Yau Tsim district investigation team are investigating the attack which they have classified as wounding.

They are searching for six men aged between 35 and 40, wearing dark-colored shirts who boarded a white seven-passenger vehicle and fled in the direction of Salisbury Road after committing the crime.

Some gang members would extort regular protection money from business owners which guarantee them protection from violence, robbery and vandalism.

A person extorting protection money could face up to 14 years in jail upon conviction. According to the Theft Ordinance, when a person commits blackmail, with a view to gain for himself or another or with intent to cause loss to another, makes an unwarranted demand with menaces.

charlotte.wu@singtaonewscorp.com