Hong Kong police arrested five teenagers on Sunday night after the group allegedly made off with four taxis over the past two weeks and went joyriding in the New Territories.

Senior Inspector Ma Ching-ho, of the force’s Tuen Mun district anti-triad unit, on Monday said one of the stolen taxis was driven up to 80km from its stand.

The five boys, aged 15 to 16, were either enrolled at school or unemployed, he said.

They were detained on suspicion of car theft, driving without a licence and third-party insurance, and theft from a vehicle.

The suspects were being held for questioning as of Monday night.

Ma said dashcams and around HK$700 (US$89) in cash were stolen from the vehicles, along with the drivers’ licences. He added that all four taxis were recovered hours after they were taken.

The suspects were able to steal the taxis in Tuen Mun because they had been left unlocked and the keys were still inside, he said.

The investigation suggested the suspects had stolen the vehicles for “fun”, with no evidence to suggest the incidents were the work of a crime syndicate, Ma said.

The force said it had identified the suspects after poring over security camera footage from the area.

Ma, who condemned the acts as “irresponsible”, said: “Driving without a licence poses a danger to themselves and their passengers as well as other road users.”

The senior inspector said further arrests were possible as the investigation was ongoing.

He urged drivers to only leave their vehicles in well-managed car parks with sufficient security and advised them to install anti-theft devices.

Under the Theft Ordinance, a person who takes any conveyance without authority faces up to seven years in prison upon conviction.