West Kowloon anti-illegal worker raid nets 19
Thestandard · 3 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
A cross-department operation in West Kowloon on October 5 targeted suspected illegal workers and related offences at restaurants, massage parlours and buildings across the district. Officers arrested 19 people, including two men who were already wanted, and all suspects are being detained for investigation.
Key Points
- The joint operation, codenamed “POWERPLAYER” and “SAHARA,” was carried out on October 5 by the West Kowloon crime unit, tactical unit, Yau Tsim anti-triad unit, Tsim Sha Tsui divisional task force and other departments.
- Officers raided multiple sites across West Kowloon, including restaurants, massage parlours and buildings, as part of an anti-illegal worker enforcement drive.
- Police said 19 people aged between 19 and 57 were arrested: nine non-Chinese men, four non-Chinese women, four foreign women, one local man and one mainland woman.
- on.cc reported the group included 13 non-Chinese suspects from Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia and the Philippines, four Thai women, one mainland woman holding a Two-way Permit, and one local man.
- The suspects were held on suspicion of breaching conditions of stay, illegal entry, overstaying, employing people not lawfully employable, and drug trafficking.
- The two wanted men were later confirmed to have been sought for skipping bail and failing to pay fines.
Why It Matters
The case shows enforcement is not limited to immigration breaches alone, as the arrests also involved suspected unlawful employment and drug trafficking offences. For Hong Kong readers, the operation points to continued multi-agency scrutiny of businesses and premises in busy urban districts such as West Kowloon.