Three people were arrested in connection to a September 10th burglary in Hong Kong that is said to be the most expensive heist in the region to date. According to reports, the apartment of Fu Chunxiao, a well-known collector of stamps and revolutionary art, was broken into while he was quarantined in mainland China. The thieves made off with what is estimated to be HK$4 billion ($645 million) worth of goods. The trove included 10 bronze coins, over 24,000 stamps and seven calligraphy scrolls written by Mao Zedong, the Chinese Communist revolutionary considered to be the founding father of the People’s Republic of China.
After the heist, the scroll was sold for a mere HK$500 ($65) and the buyer, assuming it was a forgery, cut it in half for “storage” purposes; the actual estimated value is said to be about HK$2.3 billion ($300 million). The buyer surrendered the scroll after seeing a public appeal by the police; however, two of the stolen copper coins were also found in his apartment and police arrested him on suspicion of handling stolen property. He has since been released on bail.
After some investigation, police raided the apartment of one of the suspected burglars and arrested him, along with a friend (who assisted the burglar by providing a hideout).
Authorities are still looking for two additional men in connection with the heist, and the remaining stolen items.