Four people were arrested on Dec. 17 after passersby filmed and intervened in a kidnapping outside Stanley Prison in Hong Kong.
The incident happened around 10 a.m. on Dec. 17 when a minivan parked outside Stanley Prison was used to allegedly abduct a 32-year-old woman who had just finished a prison visit. Several passersby were at the scene, and they immediately took photos of the van’s license plate. Some tried to stop the kidnappers, but one was hit in the face by one of the perpetrators, while the others called the police. Two Correctional Services officers also tried to stop them but did not succeed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iX9wLDDEZI
When one of the correctional service officers tried to pull the victim away, the van suddenly began moving, causing a blow to the officer’s head.
About 15 minutes after the van drove away, the police stopped the vehicle involved in the case at a checkpoint near Ocean Park cable car entrance, about 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the crime scene. Three men and one woman were arrested and charged with one count each of “unlawful detention, assault causing actual bodily harm, ordinary assault, and dangerous driving.” The victim, who suffered bruises on her hands, feet, and head, was rescued.
The persons arrested were a 16-year-old girl and three men, all local Hong Kong residents, aged between 17 and 37.
After a preliminary investigation, the police believed that the victim and the alleged kidnappers know each other, and the motive for the crime was believed to be a monetary dispute. The vehicle involved had been waiting at the scene for some time.
The case is now handed over to the Western District “Regional Anti Triad Unit” for further investigation. The investigation will focus on the source and nature of the funds and other pertinent issues. The possibility that more people might be arrested during the investigation cannot be ruled out.
