Recap | 5 of the most infamous Hong Kong crimes, from a diamond heist and coffin robbers to a high-profile kidnap
Explore gripping crime stories from Hong Kong’s archives, including a $3.4 million diamond burglary, a grave-robbing racket, lethal bootleg wine and a daring jailbreak
Discover some of the most notorious true-crime tales that rocked Hong Kong in the past, from a HK$3.4m diamond heist by safe-crackers to a high-profile kidnapping and a grave-robbing racket by city workers that went on for eight years.
1. Hong Kong diamond heist sees HK$3.4 million of gems stolen from Israeli consulate
In 1971, safe crackers stole nearly 2,500 carats of diamonds in a daring raid on an office used by the Israeli consulate in Hong Kong’s Central business district. Despite a $300,000 reward and Interpol’s involvement, the gems vanished, reportedly smuggled into Argentina.
2. Grave-robbing racket saw city workers loot coffins of valuables such as gold, silver, medals, watches and more
Hong Kong Urban Services Department workers were arrested in 1999 for stealing from coffins bound for a crematorium. Investigators revealed a disturbing eight-year operation where the thieves allegedly looted up to 20 coffins a day to steal from the dead.
3. Lethal bootleg wine scandal sees 17 dead from methyl alcohol poisoning, two men jailed
A deadly outbreak of alcohol poisoning from tainted Chinese wine in Hong Kong in 1975 killed 17, sparked a crackdown on wine shops and landed two suppliers in prison. Authorities initially struggled to identify the cause until laboratory tests detected four deaths in four weeks connected with methyl alcohol.
