Hong Kong residents are advised to keep a close eye on their shopping trolleys when they visit wet markets across the city. A number of cases have been reported to police of trolleys with loads of food being stolen from wet markets in Tsuen Wan, Tai Po, and North District in the New Territories and North Point on Hong Kong Island, Oriental Daily reported.
A victim posted on social media that while she was shopping at the open markets near Yeung Uk Road Market and Ho Pui Street in Tsuen Wan, the shopping trolley she had parked behind her was stolen in just a few seconds.
One man also told a reporter that his trolley had been stolen two weeks ago, while a fish seller said one or two such thefts happened every day around the area.
The stolen trolleys were usually loaded with vegetables and meat, while in one case, the trolley carried a few cans of infant formula and diapers worth more than HK$1,000 (US$128).
Store owners’ associations in affected areas have urged the police to step up patrols.
Police figures show that 25,000 theft cases were recorded in 2016 and around 16,000 cases in the first eight months of this year. However, there are no figures on how many of these cases involved stolen trolleys.