Hong Kong police have arrested a man over the suspected theft of urns from the Po Fook Hill columbarium in Sha Tin, following reports that the ashes of legendary kung fu master Lau Kar-leung had gone missing.
According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the case is being investigated by the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau after Lau’s widow, Mary Jean Reimer, revealed the disappearance of her late husband’s remains on her YouTube channel.
A police source confirmed that legal proceedings have begun against the suspect.
Reimer said she believed the theft occurred sometime between May and August, after being notified by a staff member in late August. Initially suspecting a scam, she later learned from police that the urns had indeed been stolen.
She said police had shown her photographs of the missing urns and even asked if she was willing to pay a ransom, which she declined. Upon inspection, only the cloth coverings and a funeral pamphlet remained inside Lau’s compartment.
Reimer added that several other families had also reported missing urns, though police warned that the chances of recovery were slim.
A spokeswoman for Po Fook Hill, surnamed Li, confirmed that the columbarium had received theft reports from clients and had alerted authorities. She did not specify the number of urns stolen but said the facility was cooperating fully with the investigation.
