HK: Elite armed police arrest knife-wielding man at HKIA after tense standoff

Police armed with sub-machine guns subdued a knife-wielding suspected robber at Hong Kong International Airport on Thursday. About a dozen heavily-armed elite officers rushed to the scene after the suspect, who holds a Russian passport, was said to have pulled a knife at a money changer at terminal two at the airport in Chek Lap Kok at around 8.20pm. The man, 44, was said to have threatened a female staff member at the money changer and demanded she hand over cash. When the staff member refused, he opened a cash drawer and grabbed HK$59,000 before running away. A security alarm was then triggered by staff. The suspect ran for about 200 metres to a taxi stand outside Regal Airport Hotel, with police officers from the Airport Security Unit in pursuit.<br/>There then followed a tense standoff between the man and about six officers, two with handguns and two holding sub-machine guns. Investigators from the airport police district said they believed it was a planned robbery, as shown by the knife, gloves, and a surgical mask found in the man’s bag.<br/>