Cryptocurrency crime is on the rise globally. A metropolitan police pursuit is undertaken for a band of criminals after a crypto-trader got his eyes sprayed with an unknown substance and mugged HK$2 million (US$257,600) while he was on his way to buy Bitcoin (BTC) in Hong Kong on Tuesday (June 15).
Criminals Attacking Anytime
The suspects attacked in broad daylight in the car park of Legend Tower on Shing Yip Street in Kwun Tong. The incident happened shortly before 4.30 pm.
As claimed by the police, suspects attacked the 22-year-old victim after he parked his car.
“While he was waiting for a lift, two men approached him and sprayed an unknown liquid into his eyes before snatching his green bag containing HK$2 million,” a police spokesman stated.
Officers declared the two robbers fled in a white car driven by a third man; the three suspects later abandoned the vehicle at Hoi Yuen Road and Shing Yip Street and fled on foot; heading towards Wai Yip Street.
Crimes surrounding the purchase of bitcoin have jumped in Hong Kong since the start of the year.
Authorities searched the area, but no arrests were made. The spokesman stated the victim did not request hospital treatment in the incident.
Not The First In Hong Kong
Two money exchange company employees were lured to a Tin Hau shop in March; conned out HK$3.85 million in a bogus bitcoin transaction. In January, two cryptocurrency traders were robbed of HK$6.5 million in total in two separate cases in a fortnight.
On Jan 4, a gang of robbers lured a 37-year-old man to transfer bitcoin valued at more than HK$3 million to them after he met them and made an online transaction in their car. They first paid the victim with cash but took it straight back after he transferred bitcoin to them. The victim was later kicked out of the vehicle on a hillside on Tai Tam Road in Chai Wan.
Two weeks later, another gang lured a female trader to an office in Kwun Tong for a transaction and robbed her of HK$3.5 million at knifepoint.
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