Hong Kong police have arrested another person in connection with the Great Toilet Paper Heist of 2020, which saw hundreds of toilet paper rolls stolen at knifepoint on Monday, with authorities now saying they believe the anus crime — ahem, sorry, heinous crime — was motivated by profit rather than need.
Speaking to reporters at a briefing last night, Chief Inspector Jerry Chau confirmed that police have so far arrested three people, and that the latest suspect, an unemployed man surnamed Ho, was apprehended during a raid at a guesthouse on Sai Yee Street on Tuesday night. He did not specify whether it was same guesthouse where the two other suspects also worked.
The raid took place not far from the scene of the robbery, in which 600 toilet rolls worth HK$1,640 (US$211) were stolen amid a coronvirus panic-induced run on the hygiene product.
“We believe the trio thought the rolls would have value, and that they could profit by reselling them,” Chau said.
He added that all three men knew each other, that one of them had a triad background, and that there could be more arrests.
Police confirmed to Coconuts HK that Ho has been detained for investigation, along with a fellow suspect surnamed Tam. The third suspect, surnamed Ko, was released on bail and needs to report back to the police station in mid-March.
Officers confirmed that they knife-wielding suspects who carried out the robbery are believed to be 20 to 30-years-old, thin, and about 1.7 meters tall.
The recent run on T.P. was prompted by rumors online that supplies would soon be wiped out as the coronavirus took its toll on mainland production. Although local supermarket chains and the government have reassured people that the rumors were false, and that there was plenty of toilet paper, the assurances haven’t been enough to cool the overheated demand.
