Hong Kong police have uncovered another criminal syndicate providing accounts for the ride-hailing platform Amap to recruit mainland drivers for illegal operations in the city.
Two local men and one woman, aged between 41 and 65, were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud and money laundering, while two mainland drivers were detained for illegal carriage of passengers for hire.
The case is now under judicial proceedings.
The investigation was launched after reports from residents who noticed that some drivers booked through ride-hailing apps appeared unfamiliar with local routes and spoke Cantonese with a heavy accent.
Officers later intercepted and arrested the drivers for offenses including illegal carriage of passengers for reward activities, driving without third-party insurance, and breach of condition of stay.
Further inquiries revealed that the syndicate had registered 18 hybrid private sedans of the same style and model under a single address.
Since mid-year, the group had been recruiting mainland drivers to enter Hong Kong as tourists, obtain driving permits, and then use pre-registered vehicles and ride-hailing accounts—some of which were allegedly set up using forged Hong Kong identity cards.
The drivers would then split their earnings with the syndicate.
Authorities confirmed that investigations are ongoing, with efforts to track down other local members of the group.
However, they believe mainland-based coordinators were also involved in recruiting drivers.
Police are in discussions with Amap to address loopholes in the registration process. When questioned about possible links to cross-border vehicle services or whether the platform bore responsibility for failing to detect fake IDs, officers stated these aspects remain under investigation.
In a separate but related case, a 53-year-old local man was arrested in the New Territories South on Wednesday for allegedly lending his Amap driver account to unlicensed drivers.
The two mainland drivers arrested earlier this week in Tai Po and West Kowloon were not connected to another recent incident where an illegal driver was caught in Tsuen Wan.
