Minute details were not paid attention to.
Another scene was in the beginning where Jackie Chan has the main anatagonist within gun point and calls for back up. Then it takes the cops like 15 minutes to get where he is at. Not only this, but they have their sirens blaring. If the guy was that big of a criminal in Hong Kong, why not have undecover cops with Jackie Chan to arrest him?
Even in reality I wonder this. There will be a criminal on the lose and the cops will come with sirens blaring. If they were undercover, they probably would get a lot more done.
RIO OLYMPICS!!!! August 5th!

But there could have , and
should
have been a few more gaurds inside the van. The only thing more conspicuous than a parked van is a parked van with some dude pacing around in front of it smoking.
Perhaps it shows how his cowardace was greater than his plan's perfection. He would rather have as many of the guys inside with him than have extra people outside where they couldn't protect him.

1. Perhaps to make it less obvious having a bunch of men around the van. Nobody knew what kind of vehicle the girl was kept in.
2. Drive 10 miles away or take it to a "radio proof" room? Technicalities aside here (devices can be detonated from over 10 miles away). And while attempting transit to said "radio proof" room the said henchman probably had to constantly report in. And lastly, it's Carter. Does any of what you suggest sound anything he would do?

Well this is mere speculation but it would have made sense for the vest to have a proximity trigger precisely so that someone couldn't make off with the girl.
There's a moral to this story Del Boy but for the life of me I can't find it!

Yeah, well that, and it's
Rush Hour

• so we're not really supposed to put a lot of deep thought into it. Not that I don't love the movie - I do - just realise what it is.

Yeah exactly! Why even risk keeping her around so close? Like you said the trigger can't have that long a range so driving her off to a good distance would have been the safer bet. But then again, wouldn't be as exciting I guess lol
"This isn't Vietnam, we have rules here."

Ha, yeah, well, he never intended to mention that they had the girl parked in a van right outside the hotel - just kind of slipped out.
Also, I wondered why he couldn't have just driven off, out of range of the switch. I'm guessing ten miles, or so - or bring her to the station or somewhere they might have a radio-proof room, or something like that.