Hong Kong Man Pleads Guilty to Urine Contamination of Soft Drinks in Supermarkets

Hong Kong: A 63-year-old former property agent has pleaded guilty in a Hong Kong court to a series of unsettling incidents in which soft drink bottles were deliberately contaminated with urine and placed back on supermarket shelves across the city.

The accused, Franklin Lo Kim-ngai, admitted before the Kowloon City Court to tampering with bottles of Coca-Cola Plus and 7-Up at Wellcome and ParknShop outlets. According to the South China Morning Post, Lo confessed that he acted out of dissatisfaction with supermarket staff and emotional distress following his retirement and divorce.

Lo appeared in court on Tuesday wearing a grey T-shirt bearing the slogan “Enjoy Coca-Cola” as he faced charges of administering a noxious substance with intent to injure, along with an attempted offence. The acts are alleged to have occurred between July 21, 2024, and August 6, 2025, including at a Wellcome store in Nam Cheong Place, Sham Shui Po.

Charges and Legal Proceedings

Court documents stated that Lo contaminated an unspecified number of soft drink bottles “with intent to injure, aggrieve or annoy” members of the public. He pleaded guilty to both counts on Tuesday. Under Hong Kong’s Offences Against the Person Ordinance, the offences carry a maximum penalty of three years’ imprisonment.

Magistrate Patrick Tsang Hing-tung adjourned the case until October 21 to allow for further police investigations and rejected Lo’s application for bail. Police have indicated that the accused may have targeted supermarkets in Sham Shui Po, Mong Kok, and Wan Chai over the past year.

Defence Cites Personal Distress

Lo’s lawyer told the court that his client had been suffering from depression, exacerbated by the breakdown of family ties following his divorce. His ex-wife and son have reportedly relocated overseas and ceased contact, while Lo has also endured the loss of both parents. The defence claimed Lo described his actions as a “prank” intended to cause inconvenience to supermarket staff.

Public Health Concerns and Case Background

The case came to public attention after multiple reports of contaminated soft drinks emerged from various supermarket outlets. In one incident, a nine-year-old boy was hospitalised after consuming a urine-contaminated beverage purchased from a Wellcome store at Union Park Centre, Mong Kok, in July 2025. The child was later discharged without lasting health effects.

Dr Fong Lai-ying, director of the Hong Kong Food Innovation and Technology Centre, warned that urine can contain viruses, drug residues, and other harmful substances. She cautioned that consumption could pose serious health risks, particularly if the individual who contaminated the drink was unwell or on medication, and advised immediate dilution by drinking large amounts of water in such cases.

The incident has raised serious concerns over food safety and supermarket security, with authorities continuing investigations to determine the full extent of the contamination.