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Police have dismantled a highly organized Vietnamese shoplifting ring, arresting five individuals believed to be responsible for stealing over HK$113,000 worth of clothing from Muji stores across Hong Kong since the middle of last year.
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A sophisticated shoplifting operation uncovered
Hong Kong police have arrested five members of a Vietnamese gang allegedly involved in at least 24 shoplifting cases targeting the same popular clothing and lifestyle chain, which sources have identified as Muji.
The thefts, occurring between mid-2023 and April of this year, resulted in the loss of at least 445 items of clothing valued at approximately HK$113,000.
The criminal investigation by the Yau Tsim District crime squad was launched after the department noticed a series of large-scale thefts from the chain's branches. The police spokesman explained that the gang operated with a high degree of organization and a clear division of labor.
Members would use disguises, including masks, hats, non-prescription glasses, and wigs, to avoid identification.
They specifically targeted busy stores during peak hours, where some members would act as lookouts while others rapidly stuffed large quantities of clothing into handbags and reusable shopping bags, leaving within minutes without paying.
The stolen goods would then be handed off to other members responsible for handling the loot. These members would transport the items to subdivided flats in Mong Kok or Sham Shui Po for storage before the stolen merchandise was moved out entirely within one to two days.
The police investigation relied heavily on security camera footage, including cameras installed under the police's "SmartView," to successfully identify and track the non-ethnic Chinese gang.
The arrests and aftermath
The breakthrough came on April 14, when two members of the group stole 70 items of clothing from Muji branches in Yuen Long and Tsuen Wan.
They then met a female member in Mong Kok to transfer the stolen goods to a subdivided flat.
Detectives, seeing their opportunity, moved in and arrested the three individuals. They recovered all 70 stolen items, still with their price tags attached, from the flat, along with the bags used in the thefts.
Following these arrests, police operations on April 15 and 16 led to the capture of two more male and female gang members in Stanley and Sham Shui Po.
The five individuals arrested, aged between 36 and 58, are all holders of "going-out passes" (temporary permits).
Three members have already been charged with theft and will appear in Kowloon City Magistrates' Courts tomorrow, while the others remain in custody for further investigation.
Police are currently investigating whether the stolen goods were resold locally or shipped overseas.
The police spokesman noted that the thieves exploited the fact that these large, busy stores often have preoccupied staff and lack anti-theft devices on their merchandise, with stocktaking performed infrequently.
He advised retailers to enhance their security measures by installing anti-theft gates or tags and deploying more plainclothes security personnel, while urging staff to remain vigilant for suspicious individuals.
