The case was first reported to police around 5am Sunday (Oct 2) as a pedestrian found the flags and the bamboo sticks originally tied to the fencing on Electric Road scattered on the road and driven over by vehicles.

Police then checked the security footage and found the 36-year-old man, who also holds an HKID card, committed the crime around 4.20am.

The case was listed as criminal damage and desecrating national and regional flags. It was handled by the Eastern district crime squad.

In-depth investigations confirmed the man fled to Shau Kei Wan on foot, and officers conducted a manhunt in the area yesterday (Tue). They then located and arrested the man when he entered a building on Shau Kei Wan Main Street East around 6pm.

It is understood that the man works in the catering industry and committed the crime alone.

Sources added he recently divorced his Hong Kong wife, whom he married in 2015, and damaged the flags to vent his anger. Officers are now looking into his mental condition.

He remains in police custody, and officers seized the clothing he wore at the time after searching his home.