Arabic version: توجيه اتهامات لأسترالي بشأن سلاح ناري مقلّد في هونغ كونغ

According to ABC News, an Australian man has been arrested in Hong Kong after police said he was spotted holding a “pistol-like object”. The 36-year-old tourist was charged with possession of an imitation firearm and criminal damage, the Hong Kong Police Force said.

Police said officers were alerted just after 10pm on Wednesday to reports of a man carrying the object in an alleyway near Shanghai Street in Yau Ma Tei. About 15 minutes later, authorities received another report that he had tried to enter a bar in the Jordan district. Counterterrorism officers and the Emergency Unit were deployed.

A Hong Kong Police Force spokesperson said officers seized a suspected air gun and arrested the man at the scene. While he was in custody at Yau Ma Tei Police Station, police alleged he damaged a wall and a smoke detector, resulting in the additional criminal-damage offence.

The case was due to be mentioned at West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to the Australian citizen’s family. ABC News reported it could not independently verify local media claims that the seized item was a toy gun.

Enshen Li, an associate professor at City University of Hong Kong, said the legal consequences would depend on whether the object was considered an imitation firearm or a toy. Possession of an imitation firearm can carry a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment, he said. If it were deemed a toy gun, a possible offence could carry a maximum HK$500 fine or three months in prison.