Hong Kong police have arrested 15 suspects in connection with a robbery outside a currency exchange, during which four suitcases containing 1 billion yen (US$6.4 million) were snatched within 30 seconds as part of a “meticulously planned” plot.
The force on Monday said it was still trying to recover the cash, adding that the robbery targeted two employees of a Japanese company specialising in cryptocurrency and luxury goods, who had planned to exchange 1 billion yen, or about HK$50 million, at the shop on Wing Lok Street in Sheung Wan.
The pair were ambushed when they arrived at the shop at 9am on Thursday last week by three assailants who jumped out of a private car.
“One of them brandished a 20cm beef knife to threaten the two employees, snatching the cash in the four suitcases and loading them into their car before fleeing the scene,” police superintendent Sin Kwok-ming said.
The 11 men and four women, aged 20 to 69, were arrested in connection with the robbery. All are local residents and several are known to have triad backgrounds.
Seven of them – six men and one woman – have been charged with conspiracy to commit robbery.
Most of the suspects are currently unemployed, while some have claimed to be casual construction workers, according to police.
