A 47-year-old mainland Chinese man was arrested last week on suspicion he illegally entered Hong Kong for the third time and was involved in at least four robbery cases on hiking trails.
Using an analysis of closed-circuit television footage, forensic evidence and metro octopus-card transaction records, the police identified and arrested the illegal immigrant in Tuen Mun Town Plaza, New Territories West, on March 2, Headline Daily reported.
Read: Women hikers robbed by two Mandarin-speaking men in Sai Kung
The man surnamed Zhang from Henan province in central China is known to the police. In 2004, he was arrested and convicted for a Hong Kong break-in and was deported after serving a jail term.
In 2012, he again entered Hong Kong illegally and committed a robbery for which he was sentenced to four years in jail. He was released only last year.
He is a suspect in four armed robbery cases in Eagle’s Nest of Cheung Sha Wan, Wilson Trail and the MacLehose Trail of Sha Tin over the past three months. He is accused of threatening hikers with a knife and stealing jewelry, mobile phones and cash worth a total HK$100,000.
Zhang confessed to two recent robberies, while his accomplice is on the run, according to Sing Tao Daily.