Police have linked two men to nine residential burglary cases with reported losses of about HK$1.7 million. The men, aged 54 and 34, were arrested on October 15 and held for police inquiries.
Four homes in a residential building at 18 Farm Road were burgled on October 14, with cash, watches, credit cards and other property worth about HK$100,000 reported stolen. A stolen card was later used in unauthorised online transactions involving about HK$30,000. Police linked five further cases reported between July and October, on Waterloo Road and Yin Ping Road, with losses of about HK$1.6 million.
Police allege that one suspect entered homes late at night through kitchen windows or balcony doors while residents slept, then passed stolen cards to the other man. A card machine was used for overseas online credit-card transactions, police said.
The 54-year-old was arrested on suspicion of burglary and illegal entry; the 34-year-old was arrested on suspicion of handling stolen property and obtaining property by deception. Police advised residents to secure doors and windows, particularly kitchen windows and balcony doors, and to lock a card and contact their bank if they suspect its details have been used without authorisation.