Hong Kong police are searching for a man who snatched a Rolex watch worth HK$650,000 (US$83,370) from a luxury shop in a busy shopping district while posing as a customer.
The force said on Sunday it received a report at 12.46pm from staff at Prince Jewellery & Watch on Haiphong Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, saying that a mainland Chinese suspect snatched the watch during a viewing.
The man had asked shop staff to let him see the timepiece about 10 minutes earlier, before grabbing the watch and fleeing towards Nathan Road.
Staff members called police for help after chasing him to the junction of Lock Road and Peking Road and losing sight of him.
Officers searched the surrounding area but failed to find him.
The investigation has been handed to the Yau Tsim district investigation team.
