Order first, steal later: Police nab 13 in premeditated shop theft scheme

Hong Kong police have arrested 13 individuals—five men and eight women—in connection with a string of shop thefts across the city since February. 

The suspects, aged between 22 and 69, are believed to be responsible for 39 separate theft cases with stolen goods valued at approximately HK$86,000.

Among those detained are four non-ethnic Chinese individuals and one mainland Chinese resident.

The operation, conducted from August 1 to 27, targeted thefts occurring in major retail chains, including supermarkets, personal care stores, and clothing outlets. Items stolen largely consisted of health supplements, beauty products, and apparel.

Police revealed that some suspects orchestrated the thefts with considerable premeditation. 

They set up accounts on online marketplaces ahead of time, listing products for sale at below-market prices. Once orders were placed, the individuals would steal the corresponding items from stores and ship them immediately—a tactic aimed at minimizing the time they held the stolen goods and reducing the risk of detection.

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The investigation was partly triggered by a mid-month report from a major personal care products chain, which reported repeated thefts across several branch locations.

Police identified and arrested a mainland Chinese male suspect last Saturday, believed to be involved in 11 cases between April and August, with stolen goods worth over HK$24,000.

In a separate case, a 22-year-old non-ethnic Chinese man was arrested for allegedly committing 10 thefts across multiple branches of a sportswear chain and a popular toy store. 

Since last month, he has allegedly stolen a significant quantity of sports nutrition products and toys totaling more than HK$23,000 in value.

(Marco Lam)