SHENZHEN, July 28 -- Police in south China's Guangdong Province on Thursday handed over a suspect in a grave robbery and murder case to Hong Kong at the request of the region's police, according to the Ministry of Public Security.

The case dates back to March 14 when a currency exchange store was robbed and its keeper was murdered. On March 17, Hongkong police offered tips to their Guangdong counterpart that suspect Kit Kwun-kwok had escaped to the mainland the day the case occurred and requested cooperative investigation.

Police in the two regions have since kept in touch over the latest progress of the case under a law enforcement notification mechanism between the two sides, the ministry said in a statement.

The suspect was ultimately arrested in a factory in Shenzhen by Guangdong police and later confessed to the crime. The public security department of Guangdong immediately informed Hong Kong police of the development.

"The transfer showcases the firm will of mainland and Hong Kong police in joint criminal crackdown and warns outlaws that neither the mainland nor Hong Kong is a 'harbor" for crimes," the ministry said.

Official figures show that Guangdong police have sent a total of 172 suspects back to Hong Kong since 2000.