Discovery Bay residents on high alert after series of burglaries involving valuable losses

10th June 2023 – (Hong Kong) Recent incidents of burglary have alarmed residents of Discovery Bay’s Midvale Village and other apartments in the area. Over the past week, there have been at least five burglaries or attempted burglaries reported, with losses reaching over HK$300,000 in one case alone. The management office has urged residents to stay vigilant and take necessary precautions.

One resident of Midvale Village reported that her first-floor unit was burglarised while she and her family were out for dinner. Upon returning home around 1am, they found the door unlocked and the unit ransacked. The burglars had broken the terrace window to gain entry and made off with jewellery worth over HK$300,000, including wedding bands. The police believe that the incident involved two suspects who entered the unit at around 9pm that same evening.

Following the incident, the management office posted a notice informing residents that two other units had been burglarised on the same night, with the living room windows and doors damaged. In a more recent announcement, the management office confirmed that burglaries had occurred in both Midvale Village and Lantau Peak, with many of the targeted units located on lower floors and incidents occurring between 7pm and 9pm. The management office has pledged to cooperate more closely with the police and increase patrols to address the situation.

According to the police, at least three burglaries and two attempted burglaries were reported in Discovery Bay between 3rd and 9th June. The cases are being followed up by the Lantau Island Criminal Investigation Division. Two other incidents on 7th and 9th June resulted in the loss of a watch and a wallet, respectively, with the value of the losses still being tallied. On Saturday morning, a resident of Middle Lame found a safe in their garden, but it is unclear whether it is related to the incidents from the previous night.

The victim, who has lived in Discovery Bay since childhood, expressed shock at the recent incidents, as the area has traditionally had a low crime rate. She suspects that the burglaries may be related and that a group of criminals may be perpetrating them. She also noted that the police have had difficulty tracking down perpetrators in the past, as they often flee via hiking trails in the surrounding mountains. The victim hopes that the police will act quickly to investigate and apprehend the suspects.