Hong Kong national security police have arrested five people following an investigation into bomb threats targeting a local concert by Taiwanese band Mayday and calls for independence for the self-ruled island and the city.
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Chief Superintendent Steve Li Kwai-wah of the force’s National Security Department said on Tuesday that police had received emails and social media posts between April 29 and May 20 that promoted Taiwanese independence and called for the abolition of the city’s Beijing-decreed national security law.
The message also included threats to detonate a bomb supposedly hidden at central government premises in Hong Kong, he added.
One of the suspects, a 35-year-old man, also allegedly called the 999 emergency line on May 13 and claimed a bomb would go off at Kai Tak Sports Park while the venue was hosting a concert by Mayday.
The caller also expressed support for Hong Kong and Taiwanese independence.
Li said officers searched for any suspicious objects at the venue before the show but found nothing.