Serial taxi thief set to appear in court

Adelyn Lau

A thief is expected to appear at Kwun Tong Magistrates' Court today after allegedly using master keys to unlock taxi doors, shattering vehicle windows with hard objects and stealing cash and smartphones from about 30 vehicles, amounting to around HK$66,000.

Police arrested a 41-year-old man with ties to organized crime - reported to be unemployed - on Friday on charges of unauthorized vehicle use, theft from a vehicle, possession of burglary tools and failure to produce identification.

He is suspected of involvement in 30 similar cases - 17 thefts from vehicles and 13 instances of unauthorized vehicle use - across various locations in the city from July to December.

Authorities discovered the suspect in possession of five skeleton keys - modified master keys - and a window-breaking device.

Stolen items recovered included HK$30,000 in cash as well as mobile phones, totaling around HK$66,000.

The incidents involved 26 urban taxis, three New Territories taxis, and a light goods vehicle - all of which have been located.

adelyn.lau@singtaonewscorp.com