Hong Kong police arrest 2 tourists over graffiti on MTR Corp train carriages

Two tourists were arrested at Hong Kong's airport on suspicion of criminal damage after allegedly breaking into an MTR Corporation depot in Chai Wan and spray-painting graffiti on two train carriages. Police received a report on Thursday afternoon that the two men had cut through barbed wire to enter the depot and spray-painted a five-meter by one-meter design in green, yellow, and pink on each carriage.

The Chief Inspector of Police, Chan Chi-leung, revealed that they were arrested at the airport around 8pm the same day, six hours after the initial report. The suspects, a 34-year-old Australian and a 30-year-old American, both claimed to work in e-commerce and construction respectively. They were found in possession of nine cans of spray paint, a wooden ladder, and two high-visibility vests.

The police warn that criminal damage and trespassing on railway premises are serious offenses under the Crimes Ordinance, which can result in up to ten years of imprisonment. The South China Morning Post has reached out to the Australian and US consulates-general as well as MTR Corp for further comment.