Japanese visitors targeted in Hong Kong robbery, six arrested

According to police and local media reports, the incident occurred on Friday morning in the Sheung Wan district, an area known for its concentration of money exchange outlets. The victims had been carrying around 190 million yen (about $1.23 million) in total. Two suspects allegedly grabbed a backpack containing the cash moments after the men exited a taxi and fled the scene by car.

The victims sustained injuries, police said. The case was reported after staff at the currency exchange shop alerted authorities. Arrests were made later the same day, and the suspects include both men and women, three of whom are Japanese nationals.

Local media reported that the victims had arrived in Hong Kong from Japan earlier that morning. The suspects were later detained at Hong Kong International Airport.

Japanese authorities are also examining a possible link to a separate incident earlier the same day at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, where a man carrying a large amount of cash was attacked in a parking lot, though no money was taken. Investigators are assessing whether that individual later became a victim in the Hong Kong robbery.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that a group of three suspects robbed five people on a street in central Tokyo on Thursday night.