East Kowloon anti-illegal work raid arrests 11
On.cc · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A cross-department operation in East Kowloon led to 11 arrests on Thursday, after officers raided multiple crime blackspots across the district under the codename Champion. The suspects include mainland Chinese, Indonesian and local residents, and police said all are being detained for investigation.
Key Points
- East Kowloon regional enforcement officers joined relevant departments on July 31 for the anti-illegal labour operation codenamed Champion, targeting multiple crime blackspots.
- Sing Tao said the operation involved the East Kowloon Regional Tactical Unit, Emergency Unit, and police districts in Wong Tai Sin, Sau Mau Ping, Kwun Tong and Tseung Kwan O
- Those arrested were two mainland Chinese men, three mainland Chinese women, two Indonesian women, two local men and two local women, aged 18 to 52.
- The alleged offences were breach of conditions of stay, aiding and abetting others to breach conditions of stay, using false instruments, and overstaying.
- Under Section 38AA of Hong Kong's Immigration Ordinance, prohibited persons who take paid or unpaid work can face a HK$50,000 fine and three years' jail if convicted.
Why It Matters
The case underlines the legal risks for both suspected illegal workers and anyone accused of helping them remain in or work in Hong Kong unlawfully. Source reports also note that employers who hire people not lawfully employable can face penalties of up to HK$500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment