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HONG KONG - A Kwai Tsing district resident posted shocking allegations on Facebook that his Indonesian maid emptied a safe containing more than HK$200,000 worth of jewelry and pawned the items, posting multiple pawn receipts. The incident has reignited debate over foreign worker laws.
The employer had previously posted that their Indonesian maid allegedly robbed their safe, took gold jewelry worth more than HK$200,000 and pawned it. They claimed that all the jewelry given as gifts by relatives had been stolen. On the 25th, they reported the incident to the police.
Even if stolen items are retrieved from a pawn shop, the employer still has to pay to get his or her jewelry back, police said. After negotiation, the employer decided to let the helper continue to work and use the stolen money to repay the debt.
After police left, the helper reportedly admitted using his employer's address to borrow more than $10,000 from a loan shark. The employer also lent the helper more than HK$20,000. When seeking advice on this situation, the employer noted that they had two young children to support and were unsure of the best course of action to take. In another comment, the employer discovered that the helper also stole HK$5,000 of his son's savings.
The employer expressed the hope that the Hong Kong and Indonesian governments would take such incidents seriously, and said that it was a major social loophole that a domestic helper could still purchase real estate and land in Indonesia after serving a short sentence in Hong Kong.
The employer also revealed that the domestic helper was arrested in September and In October, he borrowed a total of HK$20,000 from them and claimed that his family members were hospitalized. The employer discovered the maid's suspicious behavior during a week in October when she borrowed an additional HK$3,000 and pawned valuable jewelry. It was later revealed that the domestic helper had a transaction record at a pawn shop since joining the company in 2020, which may have involved jewelry from his previous employer or friends.
After the post was posted online, other victims contacted their employers and recounted similar incidents in which all their jewelry was lost. The employer advised the other victim's sister, who had just left home, to report the incident to the police immediately and prevent any further action that might destroy the evidence.
According to police, the maid involved is about 43 years old. The employer reported the incident on October 25, suspecting the maid of stealing valuables from his home. After assessing the damage, the employer found that jewelry worth approximately HK$200,000 and HK$5,000 in cash were missing. The actual extent of the damage is still being determined and the case has been treated as theft. The domestic helper has been taken to Kwai Chung Police Station for further investigation, and the police are continuing to follow up on the case.
The incident sparked outrage among netizens, with some commenting that it would be better to live and eat well in a Hong Kong prison than to return home. They sarcastically mentioned that they could retire without using mobile phones for a few years and live in a big house in their hometown without having to work. They also discussed the financial aspect, noting that a maid could make more money by spending a few months in jail than by working for several years.
Some netizens expressed disapproval of the employer's goodwill and even suggested that the stolen jewelry be redeemed and stored in a bank safe. Others analyzed the situation and said that the domestic helper was already heavily in debt and had a criminal record, making it difficult to find other jobs in Hong Kong. They also warned employers of the potential risks of leaving maids at home and recommended reporting the incident to the police.
One netizen shared his practice of putting a certain amount of money in his wallet to determine whether it has been taken away. Another netizen mentioned that domestic helpers customize fake gold jewelry, buy fake brand-name watches and bags, and then resell them, causing heavy losses to the victims.
印尼女佣盗窃并典当儿子价值20万港元的珠宝及5千港元现金
香港 - 一名葵青区居民在 Facebook 上发布令人震惊的指控，称他的印尼女佣清空了一个装有价值超过 20 万港元珠宝的保险箱，并典当了这些物品，并张贴了多张典当收据。 该事件再次引发了有关外籍劳工法的争论。
该雇主此前曾发帖称，他们的印尼女佣涉嫌抢劫他们的保险箱，拿走价值超过20万港元的黄金珠宝并将其典当。 他们声称亲戚赠送的所有珠宝都被盗了。 25日，他们向警方报案。
警方表示，即使从当铺取回了被盗物品，雇主仍然需要付费才能取回他或她的珠宝。 经过协商，雇主决定让佣工继续工作，并用赃款偿还债务。
据报道，警方离开后，该帮工承认利用其雇主的地址向高利贷者借了超过1万澳元。 雇主亦借予该佣工超过港币20,000元。 在就这种情况寻求建议时，雇主指出他们要抚养两个年幼的孩子，并且不确定应采取的最佳行动方案。 在另一则评论中，雇主发现佣工还偷走了他儿子的5,000港元积蓄。
雇主表示希望香港和印尼政府严肃对待此类事件，并表示家庭佣工在香港服刑短期后仍可以在印尼购买房产和土地，这是一个重大社会漏洞。 雇主又透露，该名家庭佣工于9月被捕，10月向他们借了合共2万元，并声称家人住院。
雇主在10月的一周内发现女佣的可疑行为，当时她额外借了3,000港元并典当了贵重珠宝。 其后有消息透露，该名家庭佣工自2020年加入该公司以来曾在当铺有过交易记录，其中可能涉及其前雇主或朋友的珠宝。
该帖子发布到网上后，其他受害者联系了他们的雇主，并讲述了类似的事件，他们的所有珠宝都丢失了。 雇主建议另一名受害者刚刚离家的姐姐立即向警方报案，并防止采取任何可能毁灭证据的行动。
据警方透露，涉案女佣年龄约43岁。 雇主于10月25日报案，怀疑女佣从其家中偷窃贵重物品。 雇主评估损失后，发现价值约20万港元的珠宝及5,000港元的现金不翼而飞。 实际损坏程度仍在确定中，该案已按盗窃处理。 该名家佣已被带往葵涌警署作进一步调查，警方正继续跟进案件。
事件引发网友愤怒，有网友评论称，在香港监狱里吃好喝好，还不如回国。 他们讽刺地提到，几年后可以不用手机就退休，不用工作就可以住在家乡的大房子里。 他们还讨论了财务方面的问题，指出女佣在监狱里呆几个月比工作几年能赚更多的钱。
有网友对雇主的善意表示不认可，甚至建议将被盗珠宝赎回并存放在银行保险箱中。 还有人分析情况称，该女佣已经负债累累，且有犯罪记录，很难在香港找到其他工作。 他们还警告雇主将女佣留在家里的潜在风险，并建议向警方报告这一事件。
一位网友分享了他在钱包里放一定数量的钱来判断是否被拿走的做法。 另一位网友提到，家政服务员定制假黄金首饰，购买假名牌手表、假包，然后转手出售，给受害人造成重大损失。
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