/ 6 May 2005

Toilet bandits strike in Hong Kong

Police were searching on Friday for two men who stole one-million Hong Kong dollars worth of diamonds as a 23-year-old salesman went to the toilet.

The thieves struck as the man opened one of the cubicles in a shopping centre in the North Point district of Hong Kong Island.

They pushed the victim against the wall from behind and assaulted him, before snatching a black briefcase containing 10 one-carat diamonds and 20 smaller diamonds.

Detectives are investigating whether the incident is the latest in a series of robberies, which have so far netted thieves HK$2,7-million worth of jewellery since April 2004. – Sapa-DPA