Police arrested four foreign pickpockets concerning the theft of over HK$470,000

Pickpockets were arrested at the airport on Friday after attempting to leave Hong Kong after conducting a series of pickpocket operations throughout Hong Kong.

A woman in Kwai Chung was waiting for a deposit outside a bank on February 29 when about HK$25,000 in cash was stolen from her backpack.

The Kwai Tsing police district immediately investigated after receiving the report, and after analyzing the security camera footage, four foreign men were identified.

Later, the police discovered that the four people were also involved in five other pickpocketing cases from October 2023 to March 2024, which occurred in Tuen Mun, Sheung Shui, Tin Shui Wai, Cheung Sha Wan and Tsing Yi.

The total value of the lost items was about HK$475,000.

On March 8 (Fri), after conducting an information exchange, police learned that the perpetrators were able to leave Hong Kong and mounted an interdepartmental operation, arresting the four suspects, aged 25 and 47, for pickpocketing at the Hong Kong International Airport.

The four have been charged with theft and will appear for their hearing at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts today.

The case was handed over to the Kwai Tsing police district for follow-up, and more arrests cannot be ruled out.