Thirty-six asylum seekers were among 44 men arrested by Hong Kong police in a six-week crackdown on illegal labourers working as food delivery couriers using e-bicycles across the downtown areas of Kowloon.
The force said on Wednesday that the other eight men, who hold Hong Kong identity cards, included seven holders of accounts registered with food delivery platforms.
A source familiar with the case said the seven account holders were also suspected of selling or lending their accounts to others who could not be lawfully employed in the city.
The insider said officers were searching for dozens of other account holders in connection with the case.
During the six-week operation, which ended on Tuesday, police intercepted 37 men allegedly riding e-bicycles to deliver food in the Kowloon West region including Tsim Sha Tsui, Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok and Sham Shui Po.
The Post learned that 36 of them came from the countries such as Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal, and had filed non-refoulement claims.
Under international law, the principle of non-refoulement states that no one should be repatriated to a country where they would face torture or other degrading treatment or inhumane punishment.
According to police, the 36 asylum seekers were allegedly using other people’s food delivery accounts to make their deliveries, and were holders of a recognisance form, a temporary identification document issued by the Immigration Department that allows the bearer to remain – but not work – in the city.
“A preliminary investigation suggested some of them had illegally worked as food delivery couriers for up to six months,” the source said, adding that they could earn as much as HK$10,000 (US$1,280) a month.
After a follow-up investigation, police arrested seven non-Chinese Hong Kong residents on suspicion of conspiring to defraud delivery platforms by providing their food delivery accounts to some of the illegal workers.
“At this stage, police have not found any evidence of financial transactions [between the food delivery account holders and the illegal workers],” Chief Inspector Patrick Tse Yu-ngai of Kowloon West regional crime unit said.
But he pointed out that the account holders and some of the illegal workers were residents from the same hometown in their origin countries.
Tse said the operation was carried out after police discovered illegal workers might be involved in such food deliveries and that they used powered mobility devices such as e-bicycles to deliver food in the Kowloon West region.
“Some of the e-bicycle riders even ignored traffic rules, such as speeding through red lights, driving against traffic and on the pavement,” he said.
According to the Road Traffic Ordinance, mechanically or electrically propelled devices such as e-bicycles and e-scooters are classified as motorised vehicles.
Senior Inspector Lau Ho-pong of the Kowloon West traffic unit said driving an electric mobility device without a vehicle registration licence violated the Road Traffic Ordinance and other regulations.
Lau said the offence was punishable by up to 12 months in jail and a HK$10,000 fine.
He added that those found to have engaged in careless or dangerous driving faced a maximum penalty of three years in jail and a HK$25,000 fine.
Police arrested the 44 men for various offences such as conspiracy to defraud, taking up employment illegally, driving an unregistered vehicle and driving without a valid licence.
They have been released on bail pending further investigation.
Chief Inspector Ho Chun-hin of the same traffic unit said that during the operation, police contacted housing estate management offices in the area, reminding them to register the information of food delivery workers and to contact police if they discovered any couriers without identity cards.
Tse stressed that police would continue to crack down on illegal employment activities, as well as those who disregarded the safety of road users or committed other crimes.
As of June 30 this year, there were 839 outstanding non-refoulement claims, according to the Immigration Department.
Among the 839 outstanding non-refoulement claims, 175 were from Indonesia, 174 from Bangladesh, 170 from India, 123 from Pakistan and 74 from Vietnam.
