Daylight Robbery in Hong Kong

Literally! Both HK newspapers (the English ones) reported the daring movie-style robbery of silver bars from a delivery truck. The news reports (here and here), quoting the police, did not name the logistics company of the truck that was hijacked. Here are the, ahem, logistics:

Stolen: 250 silver ingots; each ingot weighs 15 kg and has a value of HK$20,000
Total weight: 3.75 tonnes
Total value: HK$5 million (US$641,000)
Gang: At least 5 robbers wearing Customs and Excise Department attire
Victims: 1 driver, 1 assistant, 1 unnamed logistics company


Question: What does one do with 3.75 tonnes of pure silver?

Answer: Perhaps sell on Ebay?

Silver Bullion Bars (pic from here)

Silver bars worth $5m hijacked (The Standard)

Elizabeth Law
Tuesday, March 29, 2011

A delivery truck carrying HK$5 million worth of silver bars was hijacked yesterday afternoon in Hung Hom by five men posing as customs officers.

Police said the gang forced the driver of the truck and his colleague into a getaway vehicle and driven to Sha Tin, where it was set on fire.

The truck contained 250 bars of silver weighing 15 kilograms each.

The victims surnamed Lau, 45, and Lui, 53, are employees of a logistics company. They escaped unhurt.

The men were escorting the silver from a factory in Fan Ling to a client in Hung Hom, shortly after 12pm.

As the truck traveled along Fat Kwong Street, it was forced to a halt by an unmarked light goods vehicle. Five men in jeans, aged 30 to 40, got out and ordered the victims from their truck.

It is understood the goods vehicle had grills fitted on its windows and the assailants posed as customs officers.

They accused Lau and Lui of smuggling, and ordered them out of their vehicle.

The victims were then hooded and taken to the getaway vehicle, where their hands were bound.

Two of the assailants escaped with the truck containing the silver.

Lau and Lui were then driven to Sha Tin Heights Road, where they were pushed out before the van was set ablaze.

Police said they received a report of a burning vehicle at about 2pm.

Upon arriving at the scene, they found Lau and Lui still tied up away from the vehicle, which was burning slightly.

Firefighters who put out the fire found three drums of lubricant in the van.

The van's registration plates and Electronic Toll Collection device appeared to be removed, indicating a possibly stolen vehicle.

The delivery truck was recovered last night in Kwun Tong, but the silver bars were missing.

Police have classified the incident as robbery, and are still investigating.

No arrests have been made.