Hong Kong, mainland Chinese authorities arrest 42, foil people-smuggling ring

Hong Kong and mainland Chinese law enforcement agencies have arrested 42 people in a crackdown on a cross-border people-smuggling syndicate that allegedly sold workers forged identity cards, housed them in subdivided flats and placed them in low-paid jobs.

Chief Inspector Lau Ho-tak of the organised crime and triad bureau said on Thursday that the cross-border operation took place the previous day, with 30 suspects arrested in the city and 12 others apprehended across the border, including in Shenzhen and Shenyang, Liaoning province.

According to Lau, the workers had paid referral fees for legal jobs, but “in reality, the syndicate arranged for applicants to work as illegal labour in Hong Kong through unlawful means, such as smuggling or overstaying”.

“They were employed in jobs such as dishwashing, cleaning and moving goods,” he said, adding that “the cross-border operation is ongoing”.

Hong Kong police found that the syndicate had rented subdivided flats in Kowloon as dormitories for illegal immigrants, and sold forged ID cards to them for 3,000 to 5,000 yuan (US$418 to US$697).

The force had shared intelligence with mainland law enforcement agencies and mounted the joint action.

Authorities in Shenzhen and Shenyang, Liaoning province, arrested 12 core members of the syndicate in different locations for organising the illegal transport of people across the border into Hong Kong.