The number of crimes recorded in the first half of 2021 was 30,871, a year-on-year decrease of 4.6%, while the overall crime detection rate increased from 32.1% to 35.7%, Police announced today.

Violent crime cases increased 3.2% to 4,653 cases.

The decrease in overall crimes was attributed to the 64% drop in robberies and a 35.9% fall in burglaries. Arson, wounding and serious assault and criminal damage cases also registered decreases from about 10% to 40%, indicating that the law and order situation remained stable.

However, increases were seen in cases of deception, sexual offences, blackmail, criminal intimidation as well as crimes detected by Police’s proactive enforcement actions, including serious drug, serious gambling and syndicated vice offences.

Deception cases recorded a 7% increase to 8,699, mainly driven by the upsurge of romance scams which jumped 91.6% with a 1.6-fold increase in losses, amounting to over $288 million. 

Police have noticed that scammers would send fraudulent bank SMS messages with links of purported bank websites to victims in an attempt to transfer savings out of their accounts. In March, officers cracked down on a crime syndicate, arresting 14 scammers involved in 15 deception cases. The Anti-Deception Coordination Centre’s Anti-Scam Helpline also managed to prevent victims of over 280 cases from wiring money to fraudsters and intercept over $600 million before the money reached the scammers.

On National Security Law enforcement, Police arrested 117 people for suspected secession, subversion, terrorist activities, collusion with a foreign country or with external elements, and providing pecuniary or other financial assistance or property for the commission by other persons of the offence of secession. Of these, 64 people have been prosecuted.

The force said it will continue to safeguard national security in face of threats arising from home-grown terrorism.