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Burglars steal HK$1.4 million in watches, cash from Hong Kong tycoon's mansion

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Danny Mok, South China Morning Post

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/scmp/05/03/cecil-chao.jpg"/><figcaption>Billionaire Cecil Chao had watches and cash valued at more than HK$1.4 million snatched from a bedroom safe over the weekend. <em>Photo: May Tse</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Flamboyant Hong Kong tycoon Cecil Chao Sze-tsung has once again fallen victim to burglars, with luxury watches and cash valued at more than HK$1.4 million (US$180,000) snatched from his Pok Fu Lam mansion along with his identification documents.</p><p>Chao told police nothing had seemed abnormal when he left his home in the Villa Cecil residential estate on Victoria Road at 8pm on Saturday, a police source said.</p><p>He came back at about 11.30pm, but only realised two hours later that a safe in his bedroom had been forced open. Two watches worth a combined HK$1.03 million were gone.</p><p>About HK$400,000 in cash and some foreign currency, along with Chao’s Hong Kong identity card and passport, were also taken.</p><p>The estate security department called police at 9.30am on Sunday.</p><p>Initial investigation showed signs of a break-in, and police believed the burglar had sneaked into the mansion from the nearby hillside.</p><p>In October 2014, six antiques, five watches and 20 items of jewellery valued at about HK$10 million were stolen from a safe in a bathroom at Chao’s 20,000 sq ft mansion.</p><p>Police at the time also believed the burglar had scrambled down the hillside to access Villa Cecil, a luxury low-rise estate facing the sea at the western end of Hong Kong Island.</p><p>It was developed by Chao’s family property company Cheuk Nang. The first phase was completed in 1977 and the third and final phase was constructed in 2011.</p><p>Chao, who was born in Shanghai in 1936, is the chairman of Cheuk Nang. The family made international headlines in 2012 after Chao offered HK$500 million to any man who succeeded in marrying his daughter Gigi Chao, after learning she had wed her girlfriend Sean Eav.</p><p>Chao’s Villa Cecil neighbours have also been targeted by burglars on at least two occasions in 2016.</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1676675" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>The property developer only realized his safe had been forced open two hours after returning home on Saturday night. His ID card and passport were taken as well. The sprawling Pok Fu Lam estate was previously broken into in October 2014, when antiques, watches and jewelry valued at HK$10 million were taken.</p>

The property developer only realized his safe had been forced open two hours after returning home on Saturday night. His ID card and passport were taken as well. The sprawling Pok Fu Lam estate was previously broken into in October 2014, when antiques, watches and jewelry valued at HK$10 million were taken.

Burglars steal HK$1.4 million in watches, cash from Hong Kong tycoon's mansion

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Burglars steal HK$1.4 million in watches, cash from Hong Kong tycoon's mansion

Danny Mok,

South China Morning Post

Published May 03, 2021 02:11 PM PHT

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Cecil Chao

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