HONG KONG – Two people were arrested on Sunday on suspicion of inciting others to kill police officers and commit arson.

The suspects – a 26-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman – were picked up in Sha Tin and Tin Shui Wai – three days after the brutal stabbing of an on-duty policeman outside Sogo Department Store in Causeway Bay on Thursday in what the police called a “lone wolf” terrorist attack. 

Under the Hong Kong Crimes Ordinance, seditious acts are punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment

The arrests were made as the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force took over the investigations to see if the 50-year-old assailant, who knifed himself to death after the stabbing, had accomplices or whether the attack was masterminded.  

Police said on Sunday the two suspects were detained for allegedly inciting other people to murder police officers and set fire to police premises, as well as planning seditious acts.

READ MORE: HK national security squad probes 'lone wolf' terror attack

Wilson Tam Wai-shun of the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau said the two had posted incitement messages on various social media platforms on Friday – a day after the knife attack. 

He said the case is still under investigation and more arrests could follow.

Under the Hong Kong Crimes Ordinance, seditious acts are punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment. Tam also warned that such acts might breach the Interim Injunction Order issued by the High Court in November last year. The order forbids various acts on online platforms, including inciting other people to resort to violence. Any contravention may constitute contempt of court. 

Tam said such incitement acts are aimed at deepening hatred and polarizing society, and urged residents to reject them as everyone could be a victim.

 ALSO READ: CE strongly condemns violence, acts undermining public order