Police arrest 29 in citywide immigration crackdown on illegal workers and employers

The Hong Kong Immigration Department arrested 29 individuals, including suspected illegal workers, overstayers, and their employers, during a week-long series of citywide anti-illegal labor operations that concluded on July 9. 

Between July 3 and July 9, immigration task force officers, operating both independently and jointly with the Hong Kong Police Force, raided multiple target locations across the city. 

These enforcement actions, codenamed Operations Twilight, Advance, and Champion, targeted various commercial and industrial premises, including restaurants, logistics warehouses, and massage parlors.

During the extensive sweeps, authorities apprehended 20 suspected illegal workers comprising nine men and eleven women aged between 29 and 69. 

Among those detained, three men were found to be holding recognizance forms, a document that prohibits the bearer from taking up employment in the city. 

Furthermore, two of the arrested women were suspected of possessing and utilizing forged identity cards to secure work. 

In addition to the workers, officers arrested six employers, consisting of two men and four women aged between 39 and 53, for allegedly hiring the illegal labor. 

Three other individuals, two men and one woman aged between 40 and 44, were also detained for overstaying their permitted limit of stay in Hong Kong. 

Authorities noted that investigations into the implicated employers are still underway, and further arrests connected to the syndicate or the businesses involved have not been ruled out. 

The Immigration Department has issued a reminder to the public about the legal consequences of hiring illegal workers and urged citizens to report any suspicious employment activities. 

Residents can provide actionable intelligence through the department's dedicated anti-crime hotline, fax, email, or via the online reporting form available on the official government website.

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