Hong Kong court denies bail to suspect over 51 million yen theft at currency exchange

A Hong Kong court has remanded another Japanese man in custody over charges of conspiring to steal more than 27 million yen (US$171,678) in connection with a robbery outside a currency exchange shop last month in which more than 50 million yen was taken.Koki Hirose, 57, was brought before Eastern Court, in Sai Wan Ho on Monday to face one count of conspiracy to commit theft, alleging that he stole 27.9 million yen between January 30 and 31, together with other unknown accomplices.Three other Japanese nationals – Keigo Shimomura, 23, Masato Yamaguchi, 28, and Yusuke Suzuki, 27 – had earlier been charged with conspiracy to rob, along with a 52-year-old Chinese interpreter, Li Nan.They were accused of stealing 51 million yen in cash from a 51-year-old compatriot outside a currency exchange shop in Sheung Wan on January 30.Principal Magistrate David Cheung Chi-wai refused to grant bail to Hirose after considering the nature of the offence and the strength of the evidence. Photo: Nora TamThe court heard that a police investigation indicated that Hirose was connected to Suzuki, although his specific role in the alleged robbery had not been revealed.