In A First, Man Jailed For Possessing Cable Ties

In the first conviction of its kind in Hong Kong, a real-estate agent was sentenced to five-and-a-half months in prison on Friday for possessing cable ties.

Chan Chun-kit was arrested on November 2 last year, in the midst of the anti-extradition movement, during a campaign rally at Victoria Park ahead of the District Council election. It later descended into chaos as police fired tear gas into the crowd.

He was found to be carrying 48 six-inch-long cable ties.

Chan was sentenced at the Eastern Court. Magistrate Cheang Kei-hong said he agreed with the prosecution that the 'irrefutable' reason why the real-estate agent had so many of them was that he was going to use them for illegal purposes – to bind metal railings together to block traffic, or to harm people.

The magistrate said the defendant had worked in concert with others to commit crimes, and that other people shouldn't be affected by such acts. He said a deterrent sentence was needed.

Chan was convicted of possessing an offensive weapon or other instrument fit for unlawful purposes.