Hong Kong man wanted over fatal hold-up shooting arrested after 32 years on the run

A Hong Kong man wanted over a deadly shooting at a watch shop in Sham Shui Po more than 30 years ago has been arrested upon his return to the city after police used fingerprints collected at the crime scene to identify him, the Post has learned.

The 59-year-old man was apprehended when he tried to enter the city in a seven-seater car through the Shenzhen Bay control point at about 10am on Saturday, according to sources familiar with the case. He was taken to Cheung Sha Wan police station for questioning, they said

The man and his relatives were travelling from mainland China to attend the funeral service of a relative, they added.

Immigration officers identified the suspect, who had been on a wanted list for robbery and murder, and promptly alerted police, the sources said.

Fingerprints collected at the crime scene in 1991 aided in the identification process, according to one insider. The suspect’s English name could not be immediately confirmed.

On the morning of June 9, 1991, three gang members stormed the Shun Fat Company second-hand watch shop on Pei Ho Street, with two posing as customers and the third acting as a lookout outside.

One robber demanded the 52-year-old shopkeeper produce watches. But suspicious of their behaviour, he hesitated, leading one robber to produce a pistol and threaten him.

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As the gangsters attempted to break the glass case containing valuable items but failed, the gunman fired a shot at the shopkeeper’s head. He then fired a second shot that hit a glass partition and they fled empty-handed in a car.

The shopkeeper died later that night at Kwong Wah Hospital.

Separately later that day, Yip Kai-foon, the now deceased “King of Thieves”, carried out a series of robberies with his armed gang on Mut Wah Street in Kwun Tong, exchanging over 30 shots with police in one of the most daring daylight robberies undertaken in the city. The gang was armed with automatic rifles and a pistol.

They made off with HK$10 million worth of gold, leaving five people injured, including two officers.

The source on Sunday said police had yet to confirm whether the arrested suspect was the same robber who opened fire and killed the shopkeeper and further investigation was necessary.

The insider said officers collected fingerprints at the crime scene 32 years ago, which helped to identify him.

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He said police would also seek help from mainland authorities to identify the other two robbers if their investigation revealed their identities.

The arrested man was released from a mainland prison last year after serving a seven-year sentence for drug trafficking, the source added. None of his relatives in the car were arrested.

Another police source said more details would be available on Monday. The Kowloon West regional crime unit is investigating.