Hong Kong immigration authorities have arrested six foreign domestic helpers on suspicion of operating an unlicensed dental clinic in a hidden tenement flat in Sham Shui Po, as part of ongoing efforts to combat illegal labour activities.
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The Immigration Department said on Monday that the suspects, aged between 34 and 60, were all from the Philippines. Two worked as unlicensed dentists, while the rest were assistants, providing services such as scaling, orthodontic treatment and denture production.
Thirteen customers were discovered during the arrests on Sunday.
“The state of hygiene was pretty dire [at the clinic]. The alleged operating room had a sofa, distilled water, tissues, towels, fragrance, a sink and simple tools used for procedures. The so-called dentists were dressed in normal clothing when we arrested them,” Chief Immigration Officer Dhubal Tai Koon-ho said.
“There was no evidence indicating that these clothing, medical items and tools had been sterilised in any way. Clinical waste was not properly disposed of, posing a significant risk of viral infection.”
According to investigations by the department, the suspects learned dentistry skills from online videos, as none of them had formal training or qualifications. One of them claimed to have worked as a dentist’s assistant in the Philippines.