Hong Kong police have arrested two women in connection with at least 22 cases of shop theft at supermarkets and chain stores across the city over a seven-month period.
The force said on Friday that the two non-Chinese suspects, who hold Hong Kong identity cards and are both 43 years old, were suspected of stealing HK$57,000 (US$7,300) worth of items, mainly medicine and health products, during the incidents.
Detectives from the Kowloon East regional crime unit launched investigations into shop thefts after the number of reports for such crimes rose to 4,415 between January and June of 2024 from 3,939 in the same period last year.
According to the force, the trend coincided with the growing popularity of self-service checkout machines in supermarkets and chain stores across the city.
Senior Inspector Ng Ming-fung, a member of the unit, said police investigations indicated some cases involved non-Chinese thieves operating within the same syndicate.
He said the group was believed to have targeted supermarkets and chain stores such as pharmacies to steal items that included medicine and health products.
“They targeted busy shops and typically worked alone or in pairs to commit the crimes,” Ng said. “Based on the types and quantities of stolen goods, police believed these items were not for personal use but were sold to non-Chinese residents or small-scale shops such as pharmacies.”
The senior inspector said the gang made a profit without making any investment.
After checking surveillance camera footage and gathering evidence, police arrested the two women in the Kowloon West region on Wednesday night.
Ng said the two suspects were linked to at least 22 cases of shop theft between February and August.
Officers seized the clothing worn by the suspects during the crimes and also recovered some of the stolen items during the arrest operation, he said.
The two women have been detained over the thefts – an offence punishable by up to 10 years in jail.
According to police, further arrests were possible as the investigation was still under way.
“Police will continue to track the whereabouts of the remaining stolen items and investigate whether anyone is suspected of conspiring to commit theft or handling stolen goods,” the force said.
