Hunt on for 100 Hong Kong rioters who took ‘active role’ in Mong Kok mayhem

(SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST)HongKongIndigenousleaderRayWongisescortedbacktohishomeinTseungKwanOforapolicesearchyesterday.Photo:K.Y.Cheng

Policearehuntingforanother100suspectswhoplayedan“activerole”hurlingbricks,settingfiresandcausingmayhemintheMongKokriotafortnightago,thePosthaslearnt.

Sourcesintheforcesaidasmostofthemhadconcealedtheirfaceswithmasks,goggles,hatsandclothing,policehaddeployedaspecialteamtoporeoversurveillancecamerafootagetofigureouttheiridentities.

ThePostunderstandstheeliteorganisedcrimeandtriadbureauisalsoinvestigatingwhethertheriotersreceivedfinancialsupportfromsecretbackers.

Ofthe100suspects,asourcewithknowledgeoftheinvestigationsaid:“Officerscouldonlyidentifythemwhentheirmaskswereremovedandtheywerecapturedbysurveillancecameras.ThatiswhywehavetoseizehundredsofCCTVrecordingsfromdifferentchannelstocheck.”

Describingthemas“active”participantsoftheclashesthatleftnearly130peopleinjured,thesourceadded:“Theywereonthesite,hurlingbricks,settingfires,assaultingpolice,damagingpublicpropertiesandinvolvedintheclasheswithofficers.”

Anothersourcesaidpolicewouldtraceotherswhoplayedalessactiverolelater,andtheforcemightreleasephotographsofthemaskedrioterstoseekthepublic’shelpinidentifyingthem.

Sofar,74people–65malesandninefemales–havebeenarrested.Theyoungestaretwo14-year-oldgirlsoutonbail.Morethan40werechargedwithrioting.

SomeofthosearrestedaresaidtobefromthelocalistgroupHongKongIndigenousandradicalactivistgroupCivicPassion.

ThelatestswoopwasonSundaywhenofficersbrokeintoapublichousingflatinTinShuiWaiandarrestedRayWongToi-yeung,22,convenorofHongKongIndigenous,anda28-year-oldman.Wong–whodisappearedafteraFebruary11postingthatitwas“bettertodiewithhonourthansurviveindisgrace”–wasarrestedforincitingotherstotakepartintheriot.

Insidetheflat,officersseizedbottlesofchemicalsthatcouldbeusedtomakeexplosives.Itisunderstoodtheseincludedammoniumnitrates,silicondioxideandpolyethyleneglycol.Bombdisposalofficersremovedthechemicalsforexamination.

Theorganisedcrimeandtriadbureauisinvestigatingthesourceofthechemicals.

PolicealsoseizedHK$530,000indenominationsofHK$500andHK$1,000alongwithabout100tabletsofwhatisbelievedtobeViagra,anextendablebaton,aGuyFawkesmask,anelectromagneticgunandcircuitboards.

Itisunderstoodthatofficersweretoldthemoneywasfromdonationscollectedbyoneofthelocalistgroups.

LastnightahoodedandhandcuffedWongwasescortedbypolicetohishomeinChoiMingCourt,TseungKwanO,forasearch.Hewasdrivenawayanhourlaterforfurtherquestioning.

Wong,afreelanceinteriordesigner,co-foundedHongKongIndigenousinJanuarylastyear.Thegroupoperatesontheprincipleofusingviolencetofight“oppression”andhasrejectedthemorepeacefulapproachadoptedbytheOccupymovementin2014.

Thegroupclaimedpolicehadarrestedmorethan20ofitsmemberssincetheMongKokriot,butsourcessaidsixknownmembersofthegroupincludingWonghadbeennabbed.