Police said on Saturday that around 11 million yen of stolen cash has been recovered, following a heist in Sheung Wan the previous day.

The robbery, officers said, netted the culprits a total of 51 million yen, or a little over HK$2.5 million, from two Japanese men. Investigators had earlier cited different figures for the amount that the robbers got away with, putting the figure at 40 million yen soon after the heist before changing that to 58 million yen later on Friday.

According to officers, the incident saw two employees of a Japanese company, who had transported roughly 190 million yen to Hong Kong from Japan, targeted.

As they alighted from a taxi near 272 Des Voeux Road Central, two men snatched one of their bags, which contained the 51 million yen, and fled in a vehicle.

Following investigation and CCTV review, police arrested six individuals – five men and one woman, aged 23 to 52 – on charges of robbery.

The group comprises three Japanese nationals, two from the mainland and one local resident.

Chief Inspector Lam Ka-tsing said that two Japanese men believed to have directly carried out the snatch, along with a female mainland accomplice, were apprehended at the airport.

About 4.6 million yen, she said, was seized from them and their luggage.

Further inquiries led police to a cryptocurrency exchange in Tsim Sha Tsui, where two male employees were arrested on suspicion of assisting with the stolen funds.

An additional seven million yen in cash was recovered from another exchange shop, though police said there was no direct evidence linking that shop to the crime.

Superintendent Sam Sin said one of the two men who were robbed was among the three Japanese arrested on suspicion of being the inside man.

"During our investigation, we found that the suspects appeared to have very detailed knowledge about the victims' route and timing, which is unusual," Sin said.

"Additionally, one of the purported victims had been inconsistent under questioning, which raised significant doubts. Therefore, we have reason to believe this individual acted as the man who relayed inside information, leading us to arrest him."

Police believed the company employees were in Hong Kong to exchange currency, possibly to purchase products that could not be obtained in their home country or to benefit from exchange rate differences.

When questioned about a potential connection to a separate 420 million yen robbery in Tokyo on the same day, Sin confirmed an investigation had been initiated and that officers would follow procedures to contact relevant international departments. He declined to further comment at this time.