Police have arrested a 54-year-old man in connection with the killing of a newspaper vendor more than a quarter of a century ago.

The suspect was arrested by mainland authorities and handed over to Hong Kong police.

It's the seventh arrest in connection with the case, which occurred on September 22, 1999, when a 40-year-old woman working at a newspaper stall in Sham Shui Po was attacked by three knife-wielding men.

Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Superintendent Gar Kam-lam from Kowloon West crime unit said the man allegedly recruited the three attackers and arranged a vehicle to send them to the crime scene.

The suspect has been laid a holding charge with one count of murder and will appear at Kowloon City Magistracy on Monday.

Gar said the arrest was made thanks to support from their counterparts on the mainland.

“The man was arrested in Shenzhen on Friday with the assistance of Guangdong and Shenzhen police forces,” he said.

“Following the arrest, he was brought to Hong Kong on Saturday morning and we received the suspect.”

Six others were arrested between 2005 and 2010 in connection with the case, with five of them convicted of murder and jailed for life and the sixth slapped with a 12-year sentence for manslaughter.

Gar said one more suspect remains at large.


Edited by Edmond Fong