By Sammy Heung
Two men issued with two-way exit permits have been arrested for allegedly stealing 32 bags of copper wire and tools worth HK$30,000 (US$3,821) from a construction site in Kwun Tong, Hong Kong.
Police said on Tuesday that a security guard at a construction site located at 11-15 On Yu Road in Sau Mau Ping discovered the men, aged 47 and 49, at around 3.48am and suspected them of stealing building materials and tools.
Officers arrived at the scene and located the two individuals, but they fled, leading to a pursuit.
Following an initial investigation, the men were arrested on suspicion of theft from the site and have been detained for further enquiries.
A source told the Post that the men were in possession of two-way exit permits, which allow mainland China residents to travel to and from Hong Kong and Macau.
This incident follows previous reports of copper theft in Hong Kong. In March, police began investigating the theft of about 100 metres (328 feet) of copper water pipes from a park in Shau Kei Wan, but no arrests were made at the time.
Later in the same month, five individuals, including a 97-year-old man, were arrested on suspicion of stealing or handling stolen copper water pipes valued at more than HK$1 million.
They were believed to be connected to at least 21 cases across the city involving a combined total of 2.5km (1.5 miles) of stolen copper pipes.
The force said the suspects scouted locations during the day, cut the pipes at night, and then transported the stolen goods to a scrap metal shop in Tai Kok Tsui.
At the time, police urged scrapyard operators to be vigilant and emphasised their responsibility to verify the source of materials they received.