A SHENZHEN man suspected of stealing luxury watches and designer handbags in Britain was apprehended April 5 at Shekou ferry terminal on his arrival from Hong Kong airport, yesterday's Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

The man, identified only by his last name Su, was carrying 11 luxury watches including Rolex, four Louis Vuitton designer handbags and 8,000 pounds sterling in cash (US$14,898). They were allegedly stolen from a British Chinese in Glasglow before Su flew to Hong Kong on April 4, the Daily quoted a Shekou police officer as saying.

The unnamed officer said a man surnamed Chen went to Shekou police station April 4 saying that the nephew of a friend, surnamed Pang, had lost expensive watches and handbags stolen from his home in Glasgow, Scotland, where he worked as a chef in a Chinese restaurant.

Chen said Pang told him that 8,000 pounds sterling cash had gone missing from his apartment after Su left Glasglow for Hong Kong, the report said. Su was said to have worked temporarily with Pang at the restaurant in Glasglow.

He told Chen that Su was likely to enter the mainland at the Shekou ferry terminal after his flight landed at Hong Kong airport. He asked Chen to help him retrieve his belongings -- worth more than 700,000 yuan (US$98,592) -- by reporting the matter to police.

Acting on the information supplied by Pang, Shekou police arrested Su at the terminal in the early evening of April 5.

He would be prosecuted on criminal charges, police said.

(Wei Jie)