HONG KONG — Two men have been arrested in connection with a HK$10 million (S$1.7 million) raid on a Hong Kong luxury watch store where four thieves impersonated construction workers.

A source familiar with the case said on Monday (March 27) one of the detained was alleged to have been the driver of a reconnaissance car surveying CKE shopping centre on Nathan Road in Tsim Sha Tsui, before the raid last Saturday.

The source said one was arrested in Sham Shui Po and the other in Sheung Shui on Sunday night. The car was also found in Sham Shui Po.

The pair, who were arrested on Sunday, were still being questioned by police on Monday night.

None of the 46 stolen watches — 45 Rolexes and one Patek Philippe — have been recovered.

The raiders also stole HK$37,000 and a mobile phone from the RWW watch company, on the second floor of the shopping centre.

The source added one of the suspects was a recognisance form holder, a temporary identification document that allowed individuals to remain in the city, but not to work.

He said security footage from the shop showed the four men were dressed in orange reflective vests, gloves and two of them wore safety helmets. The gear, often used by construction site personnel, were thought to have been worn in this instance to conceal identities.

The shop owner, two women employees and two customers were on the premises at the time of the incident. No one was injured.

“Once inside the store, two of the assailants threatened staff and customers with two knives. One of them hacked an empty box into two with his knife,” the source said.

He added the other two robbers snatched the watches and shoved them in two bags before the gang fled in under three minutes.

The four men jumped into a black Toyota Vellfire seven-seater MPV fitted with fake number plates.

Police said the four were non-Chinese, believed to be aged between 30 and 40 and about 1.7 metres to 1.8 metres tall.

Police handled 77 robbery reports last year, down 37 per cent from the 123 incidents logged in 2021.

The 2022 clear-up rate was 74 per cent.

The force said the robbery figures were the lowest since records began in 1969 when crime statistics for last year were released in February. SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST