Chinese police launch investigation after bag containing equivalent of £425,000 in cash is stolen from airport

A bag containing around £425,000 has reportedly been stolen from Hong Kong International Airport.

It was one of 13 bags with NZ$ 10,000,000 in cash flown from New Zealand to the Bank of China in Hong Kong, according to Chinese media.

Police are treating the case as theft, and believe that the bag may have been taken after falling from a trailer.

CCTV footage shows three bags falling from the trailer, but staff could only recover two of them.

The bags had been unloaded from a Cathay Pacific flight when the incident occured.

A statement from the airline said: “Cathay Pacific transported a valuable cargo shipment last Friday night to Hong Kong.

“Upon arrival, it was transferred to the cargo terminal where part of the shipment was found missing.

“As the case is under police investigation, we are unable to provide further details.”

A spokeswoman for UK-based G4S International Logistics, who transported the money, said the company was "very concerned" by the suspected loss.

Janet Leung, the Director Commodities (North Asia) for G4S International Logistics (G4Si), told the South China Morning Post: “This loss occurred within the controlled air side sector of HKIA – a restricted area that we are not allowed access to.

“We can confirm that the missing banknotes were safe and accounted for during the entire time it was in G4Si’s possession, up until it was in the controlled airside sector.”