News

Two arrested in Hong Kong cash grab after millions was spilled from a security van

Two people
were arrested Thursday evening after
police said they snatched some of
the nearly 15.23 million Hong Kong
dollars that spilled from a money
transport van onto a street on
Christmas Eve.
A 43-year-old man was arrested in
Kowloon and a 36-year-old woman
was taken into custody in Tseung
Kwan O, police said.
They are accused of stealing bank
notes off the street and hiding the
money in their homes.
Authorities said 29 people have
voluntarily handed over the money
resulting in HK$5.7 million being
returned. Those that voluntarily
returned the money likely will not
face charges, police said.
It was a wild scene as last-minute
shoppers in Hong Kong were treated
to a Christmas Eve cash grab when
the bills spilled from a money
transport van into the street.
Passing motorists and pedestrians
were caught on camera helping
themselves to banknotes scattered in
Gloucester Road in the city's Wan
Chai district at around lunchtime,
before police arrived to secure the
loot and disperse the opportunists.
Three cash boxes had fallen from the
van, resulting in the loss of an
estimated 15.23 million Hong Kong
dollars (nearly $2 million U.S.),
police said Thursday.
A statement from the security
company that operates the cash
transport van, G4S, said "the
majority" of the money had been
recovered from the scene.
"G4S vehicles have in place a
number of systems to prevent such
occurrences and G4S has
commenced an immediate
investigation into the causes of the
incident," the statement said. "We
will take urgent steps to prevent any
similar cases happening again in the
future."