All on camera: Bold daylight phone theft on minibus sparks outrage

In an age where surveillance cameras are everywhere, a thief was caught on tape stealing a minibus driver’s phone in plain sight—with passengers just steps away—sparking widespread condemnation online.

The footage was posted on Facebook last Thursday (Jan 8), which captured the incident that occurred around 5.30pm on January 7 on a minibus heading to Mong Kok’s Sincere Department Store. 

In the approximately 2-minute video, a suspect in a black hoodie is seen taking the seat directly behind the driver after boarding, with only a few other passengers present.

After spotting the driver’s phone placed beside him, the man grew visibly restless—glancing repeatedly at the phone, looking around at other passengers, turning his cap backwards, and fidgeting with his phone as if coming up with a plan.

His initial attempt to snatch the phone fails when the driver checks the rearview mirror, forcing the thief to retract his hand. 

Undeterred, he discreetly checks on the other passengers before taking the phone and hiding it under the seat for cover.

In a calculated move, the man is seen removing the phone’s case—presumably to make it easier to hide—while pretending to gaze casually ahead and keeping an eye on the driver's reactions.

The footage concluded just before another passenger boarded, leaving the aftermath of the theft unclear.

Online viewers condemned the act as “despicable,” especially for targeting an elderly driver. Many mocked the reversed cap, joking it made his face more identifiable and hinted at coming “legal trouble.”

Wearing a reversed cap is sometimes linked to impending “legal trouble”—a move commenters suggested may have unwittingly foreshadowed the thief’s fate.

Netizens urged the driver to report the crime, confident the sharp footage and Hong Kong’s widespread cameras will lead to the suspect’s arrest.