Armed Gangs Steal Hundreds Of Toilet Paper At Hong Kong Supermarkets

Illustration of toilet paper (Harry Peters / unsplash)

JAKARTA - Since the corona virus outbreak broke out, toilet paper has become an important item for Hong Kong residents. This is because many residents choose to stay indoors and do not go outside, for fear of contracting the virus.

Especially since the virus has its scientific name, COVID-19 has reportedly killed more than 1,000 people in China. This makes toilet paper a hot item on the market.

As a result, the number of people hunting for toilet paper has made many people willing to do anything to get it, including by robbing. At a supermarket in the Mong Kok district there was a toilet paper robbery. The robber even had a gun.

Reporting from the BBC, Police managed to arrest the two men and found several stolen toilet rolls, local media reports said. The toilet paper robbery took place in Mong Kok, a district in Hong Kong with a history of gang crime.

"A delivery officer was threatened by three men who used knives and took toilet paper worth more than 1,000 Hong Kong dollars (about Rp1,759,473)," said a police spokesman.

According to local reports, the robbers carried out the robbery by threatening a delivery worker who was unloading toilet paper rolls on the grounds of the Wellcome Supermarket.

"This is an act of absurdity and we are shocked," said a spokesman from the supermarket.

The spokesperson added that all Wellcome Supermarkets have an adequate supply of toilet paper with a regular supply. Therefore, he also urged people not to make large purchases because of panic.

Public panic about COVID-19 has flooded shops across Hong Kong. Not only toilet paper, stocks of instant food, rice, toothpaste, and items that could last a long time were reported to have been bought up in a big way. Even when new stock arrives, it can run out briefly with long lines.

The reason many people shop on a large scale is also because they are worried that one day they will face a low stock of daily necessities on the market, just like some areas in mainland China. The Hong Kong government has repeatedly warned that it guarantees that the supply of goods in the market will continue to be available. However, Hong Kong people do not believe it and continue to shop heavily.

Armed robbers, one armed with a knife, stole 600 rolls of toilet paper outside a supermarket in Hong Kong on Monday. https://t.co/hmNpUatBKn pic.twitter.com/Uu5QB0sJMC

- SCMP News (@SCMPNews) February 17, 2020

Items that are rare nowadays are masks and hand sanitizers. Both of these items are must-have items for the community but are very rare to obtain. In Hong Kong there are 57 confirmed cases of COVID-19. One person has reportedly died and 2 people have recovered from the virus that originated in Hubei Province.

The authorities also regretted the rumors circulating on social media that the stock of daily necessities such as toiletries, food, floor cleaners was almost empty. Not only in Hong Kong, the purchase of toilet paper, hand sanitizer and face masks on a large scale by the public also occurs in Singapore. In Singapore alone 75 confirmed cases of COVID-19.