Policemen
mourn
colleague
Sergeant Li Sum and his I-mergency Unit colleagues were last night mourning the death of their fellow officer, Sergeant Cheung Tin-lam, who was killed while chasing armed bank robbers yesterday morn ing
Set Li was in tears last night as he spoke to the S.C.M. Post:
"He was a family man who at good to his three children and was an honest policeman." he snici.
"In the past, we always went out on duty in the same patrol car. Everyone in the unit likeel to work with Cheung. He was experienced and never failed in his duty.
"Our seniors always praised him for his work,
"Everything he did seemed to he so perfect," said Sgt Li.
Sgt Cheung joined the Police Force in 1952.-He was promoted to corporal in 1961. He had been a sergeant since
1971.
SOUTH CHINA MORNING
AUGUST 15H
73
Posr
HK 10/11
POLICEMAN
SHOT
Bank robbed
of $460,000
Police last night offered a $100,000 reward - the largest ever for information leading to the arrest of the gang of bank robbers who shot and killed police Sergeant Cheung Tin- lam.
Sgt Cheung was shot in the head in a gunbattle when he and two colleagues tried to prevent the armed gang from escaping with about $460,000 taken from the Cheungshawan branch of the Chartered Bank.
The Chief Manager of the Chartered Bank in Hongkong, Mr D. L. Millar, also offered a $50,000 reward for the arrest of the robbers or the recovery of the stolen money.
fle also said the bank would provide the widow and family of Sp4 Cheung with $20,000.
The Acting Governor, Sir Hugh Norman-Walker, and the Commissioner of Police, Mr Charles Sutcliffe, also sent condolences to the widow and family.
Sgt Cheung, attached to the Kowloon West Emergency Unit. was killed in the Peiho Street gunbattle in which one of the robbers fired three shots at him. One bullet struck him in the head
MISS WONG
MARGARET TAKEN HOTAGE BY THE BALIK ROBBERS.
Three pedestrians, Mrs Wong Nui, 49. Mr Cheung Chu ping, 37, and an eight year old girl, Leung Mei fun, also suffered gunshot won. 1. They had been admitted to hospital where their conditions we last night described as not scrimus.
Senior Superintendent F. R. Moss, in charge of operatIOUS in Kowloon, last nigin outline : police investigation of the che so far
He said at about 9.19 am yesterday, six men – one armed with a revolver hijacked a hired car and drove it to Sai
Kung.
They tied and gagged the driver before driving the vehicle away,
Police said evidence showed that the car had been used by the robbers in their escape bid. The gang of 10 robbers, Wight masked and all armed with pistols, burst into the bank in Cheung Wah Street shortly after
lam.
In the lightning raid, they disarmed two bank guards, grabbed about $460,000 and took a woman employce as hostape.
Two cars were used in the getaway, including the hijacked one. They sped away in different directions.
According to Supt Moss, five or six of them were in the hijacked vehicle with the hostage, when it collided with a bus in Tonkin Strect.
They released the hostage and stopped a private car, forcing the driver, Mr Lee Chung cheung, out and drove it along Cheungshawan Road.
Mr Lee also stopped a car and followed the robbers. On the way, he stopped a policeLand Rover carrying SgtCheung and his men, who were racing to the scene of the bank robbery.
Mr Lee and the police officers gave chase. When the robbers reached Peiho Street, they found the area too congested and jumped out to make their escape on foot.
The police gave chase along the crowded street. One of the robbers turned and fired three shots at Sgt Cheung, who was about 15 yards away.
One of the two constables returned the fire but his shot missed. The constables continued the chase, but lost sight of the robbers near Yen Chau Street. However, they later saw them again in a yellow sports car speeding towards the New Territories.
Police later recovered about $110,000 near the scene of the shooting, plus $2,000 near the entrance of the bank and about $1,000 in the car which collided with the bus.
Detectives are studying the photographs taken by the spy Camera installed in the bank.
Sgt Cheng was the second police sergeant to be kille in: bank robbery in the past five months. On March 27, Sgt Tse Yun cheung was shot and killed when he went to the Kowloon City branch of the Ka Wah Bank to investigate a bank robbery report.
The tactics used in both bank hold ups were similar. In both instances the robbers took a hostage. Police suspect the satac gang is responsible for both robberies.
The Police Welfare Officer, Mr Brian Welch, said last night. that Sgt Cheung will be buried on Friday with full police honours. Sgt Cheung, 44, is survived by his widow and three sons, aged between five and 13 years. He had been in the Police Force for 21 years and had been awarded the Colonial Police Medal for long service and good conduct in 1970. He was promoted to sergeant two years ago.
Earlier, the President of the 100 Club of Hongkong, Mr A. Manuan Shaikh, presented a cheque of $ 10,000 to Mr Welch for Sgi Cheung's widow.
Three men robbed a Shamshuipo goldsmith shop and escaped with gold ornaments worth $129,500 yesterday.
The trio, one armed with a pistol like object, the others with hammer and a knife, dashed into the Wah Yick Goldsmith sh Castle Penk Road at about 11.45 am.
Warning the 10 employees not to move, they smule. showcase window, grabbed the gold ornaments and escupat...