Man steals gold ring at Kwun Tong shop, caught fleeing barefoot

A man was caught after stealing a gold ring from a gold jewelry shop in Kwun Tong and fleeing on foot, before being intercepted by staff and an off-duty marine police officer.

The incident took place at a shop on Mut Wah Street at around 2.28pm on Friday (Feb 20), when the 48-year-old suspect posed as a customer and asked to view a gold ring weighing about 1.1 mace and worth around HK$6,000. He allegedly took the ring and ran towards Shui Wo Street. A shop assistant gave chase with the help of passersby.

The suspect lost his slippers during the chase and continued fleeing barefoot before being intercepted about 100 meters away on Shung Yan Street by an off-duty marine police officer.

He was arrested on suspicion of theft. The case is being handled by the Kwun Tong District Crime Squad.

The shop owner said the man had tried on the ring and claimed it was too tight, asking staff to adjust it. He also asked to see a gold bracelet, during which the ring was left on the counter and stolen.

The owner, who has operated the shop for 30 years, noted that the store had also been robbed in 2023.

In May 2023, a financially struggling security guard armed with a toy gun and hammer clumsily robbed the gold jewelry store of a HK$5,700 bracelet, later turned himself in, and was sentenced to 7 years and 9 months in prison in August 2024.