Hong Kong and mainland combat snakehead syndicate, arresting 42
發佈日期: 2025-08-22 00:11
TVB News
Police and mainland authorities arrested 42 people in an operation to crackdown human smugglers.
Thirty of them were arrested in Hong Kong, including four core members of the snakehead syndicate.
The police earlier discovered subdivided units were rented out to a snakehead syndicate that would turn them into an accommodation for illegal immigrants and overstayed individuals.
The force then conducted an operation with the Immigration Department and its mainland counterparts.
Investigation shows that the snakehead syndicate would sell fake HKID cards to mainland applicants who wish to work in Hong Kong at a price between 3,000 and 5,000 yuan.
The syndicate would smuggle the applicants to the city, with referral fees between 30,000 to 50,000 yuan, and arrange for them to work illegally at places, including restaurants.
Hong Kong authorities on Wednesday raided multiple subdivided units in Kowloon.
In the process, 26 suspects were arrested. Two were Vietnamese who held "temporary permits" and the rest were mainlanders. Twenty of the mainlanders overstayed in the city. The police also seized fabricated HKID cards on five of the arrestees.
Meanwhile, mainland authorities caught 12 people across the country. A forged HKID card centre was also smashed in Shenzhen.
The police said more than 60 fake ID cards were seized. The force added the cross-boundary enforcement is ongoing.
