Officers Just Stumbled On Weapons Find, Say Police

The police say the seizure a haul of weapons at an industrial building in Fo Tan on Thursday night came after officers, responding to another matter, just happened to see a group of suspicious men pushing a trolley full of items through a car park.

Police subsequently raided a nearby unit, finding more weapons, with the leader of the now-banned Hong Kong National Party, Chan Ho-tin, among eight people arrested.

At a press conference on Friday afternoon, the police said the trolley they spotted was packed with baseball bats, metal marbles, walkie-talkies, and protective gear such as helmets.

The raid that followed on the building uncovered a petrol bomb, a bow and arrows, and t-shirts bearing the slogan "Hong Kong independence", the police said.

Senior superintendent Steve Li from the organised crime and triad bureau described the haul as "worrying" and said extra ingredients had apparently been added to the petrol bomb to make it more powerful.

Li said detectives were investigating whether the weapons were linked to ongoing anti-government protests, and whether Chan is linked to the weapons.

"We cannot provide any more information at this stage. But we are looking into whether this is another possible offence ... [connected] to the unlawful society, in relation to the personality you mentioned to us," the senior superintendent told reporters.

He also revealed more details about the arrests of a man and two women on Thursday night after 30 smoke bombs were found at a flat in Tin Shui Wai.

Li said officers raided the flat after receiving intelligence and they found smoke bombs placed inside ping pong balls and toilet roll tubes.

Ingredients for further smoke bombs and some that were half-finished were also confiscated as well as HK$500,000 in cash, he added.

Li said detectives were investigating whether the three suspects, who are aged between 23 and 47, are linked to recent extradition bill protests, being as smoke bombs were thrown at police in some instances.

"These kind of things have been used to attack our officers," he said.