A 47-year-old local man was arrested in Sheung Shui following a ten-minute burglary at a market vegetable stall where a mobile phone and produce valued at approximately $1,500 were stolen, according to police reports.
Ten-Minute Market Raid Captured on Closed-Circuit Television
The incident occurred on Friday, October 2, inside the market at Ching Tao Court on Ching Hiu Road in Sheung Shui. Local law enforcement received a formal report from the female stallholder on Saturday, October 3, detailing the theft of communication equipment and fresh food stock. Investigators examined local footage, including records from the “Sharp Eyes” surveillance initiative, leading officers to track down and apprehend a 47-year-old suspect in the Sheung Shui district later that same afternoon. The man remains in police custody under investigation for suspected theft.
Surveillance footage published online by the vendor shows a man wearing a red top and a white baseball cap entering the closed vegetable stall at approximately 10:09 p.m. on the night of the incident. Moving between styrofoam boxes and inventory pallets, the suspect spotted a mobile phone charging on a ledge and pocketed it before gathering produce. The intruder loaded bananas, dragon fruit, ginger, and garlic into an eco-friendly bag before meeting an accomplice outside.
Accommodating the Accomplice Outside the Stall
Video evidence reviewed by investigators demonstrates how the operation involved coordination with a second individual. A person dressed in black and pushing a bicycle waited outside the vendor’s boundary while the primary suspect hauled three bags of stolen goods out of the stall. After depositing the initial load, the red-clad intruder returned inside for roughly one minute to retrieve an additional bag of dragon fruit. The suspect then handed one bag of loot to the accomplice before mounting his own bicycle with the remaining three bags, and both individuals departed the scene.
The stallholder appealed to the public via social media following the break-in, asking for information regarding the suspects and urging the individuals to surrender voluntarily to authorities. The owner indicated an openness to resolving the matter locally if contact could be established, while simultaneously confirming that an official police complaint had been lodged.
Legal Penalties Under Hong Kong Theft Legislation
Under Section 9 of the Theft Ordinance, Chapter 210 of the Laws of Hong Kong, conviction for theft carries a maximum penalty of ten years’ imprisonment. Police continue to process the case as the 47-year-old suspect is detained for questioning.
