Police seize bleach, sword handle in overnight forensic search after woman reported missing

A mysterious missing person case in Cheung Sha Wan has prompted an intensive overnight investigation by detectives from the West Kowloon Police District, who combed through a subdivided flat in a tenement building on Castle Peak Road and removed a large haul of potential evidence.

The case centers on a 51-year-old Vietnamese woman surnamed Leung, who was reported missing last Saturday (June 21) after leaving home.

In the early hours of Wednesday, forensic teams equipped with arc lights—used to detect bloodstains invisible to the naked eye—searched a flat on the fourth floor of a building at 152 Castle Peak Road, which is known to have been frequented by Vietnamese men and women. The flat is believed to have been rented by the missing woman.

Police were seen removing various items as evidence, including clothing, bottles of bleach and cleaning agents, a rice cooker, and pieces of wooden furniture. Among the seized items was also the handle of what appeared to be a Japanese-style sword.

A mobile forensic laboratory—officially known as the Crime Scene Investigation Vehicle—was deployed to the scene.

Introduced in December last year, the CSI van is a high-clearance vehicle retrofitted with over ten types of forensic tools, including advanced fluorescent fingerprint imaging systems. It enables investigators to process evidence at the scene and transmit fingerprint data directly to headquarters for rapid matching against criminal databases.

As of 10am Wednesday, police officers were still stationed outside the subdivided unit, while detectives continued to canvass the neighborhood. Officers were seen inspecting rubbish bins and reviewing CCTV footage from nearby shops.

Residents in the area say police began making inquiries in the neighborhood the previous day, raising concern among locals as more details of the case emerged. The investigation is ongoing.

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