Third person held over dash for cash in HK security van spill

HONG KONG — A third person was arrested last night (Dec 26) over a Christmas eve cash-grabbing frenzy in Wan Chai, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

The 23-year-old was detained along with two computers, two ferry ticket stubs and a mobile phone were also seized from his flat, SCMP reported.

Some HK$52.5 million (S$8.95 million) had spilled out of a security van onto busy Gloucester road on Thursday due to a faulty rear door. Drivers and passengers were seen abandoning their vehicles in the middle of the road in a money scramble that lasted about 10 minutes.

Two other suspects - a 43-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman - were arrested yesterday morning but have not been charged.

Police repeated their warning for people who had picked up the spilled money from Gloucester Road to return it.

As of 5pm yesterday, 38 people had brought HK$6.3 million to police, including one person who handed in HK$2 million, the newspaper reported.

SCMP quoted a spokeswoman from security firm G4S, which owns the van, saying the firm would handle the loss with its contract employer, Bank of China Hong Kong, “according to the contractual agreement and in line with the process required by our insurance”.