Off-duty officer busted for nabbing dolls from claw crane machine using magnet

An off-duty marine police officer was arrested for using a magnet to steal nine dolls from a claw machine store in Tuen Mun.

Around 11 pm yesterday (Jan 13), a man with a black cap was seen entering a shop inside the Waldorf Garden Shopping Centre and acting suspiciously with an item believed to be a magnet.

The 22-year-old store owner stopped the man from leaving and contacted the police.

After going through security camera footage, police arrested the 35-year-old man, surnamed Chow, on suspicion of shoplifting.

According to sources, it is believed that Chow was an off-duty officer from the Marine West Division.

The nine dolls, the 3.5 cm by 3.5 cm magnet, his bag, and his clothing were all seized as evidence for the crime.

It is understood that all of the stolen plushes had a metal chain, which he used the magnet to attract and steal from the machine.