By Daisy C L Mandap
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| Many pseudo dentists advertise their services on social media |
Four Indonesian domestic helpers who allegedly used a room
in a guest house during Sundays and holidays to clean teeth and install dental
braces on their fellow workers were arrested on Thursday and Friday by Immigration
officers.
A statement released late on Friday in the government
website said the Indonesians, aged between 31 to 35 years old, were arrested for
breaching their conditions of stay by practicing dentistry without a license.
The domestic helpers were reportedly picked up in their
employers’ houses. Seized from them were several items, including business
cards and an account book.
The illicit operation had reportedly been carried out by the
accused for more than a year in a Mong Kok guesthouse.
The government statement said Immigration was tipped off
about the illicit operation, but was not given names or the specific times when
the dental services were provided.
But “after an in-depth investigation and intelligence
analysis,” Immigration officers managed to identify the suspects and track them
down.
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| A Philippine TV documentary shows the ill-effects of having braces installed by hacks |
Preliminary investigations reportedly showed that the
helpers never received any formal dental training. Their employers were not
aware of their illegal activity.
The statement said the investigation is ongoing, and that
there is a possibility that more people will be arrested.
“The arrested helpers have breached their conditions of
stay. Apart from that, practicing dentistry without registration will also
threaten the health and lives of Hong Kong
citizens and will very likely increase the risk of the spread of the epidemic.
The situation is absolutely unacceptable,” said the statement.
It also urged people who report crimes to provide more
information to speed up the enforcement and investigation by authorities.
The selling of brackets, nylon binds and other equipment
used for braces, as well as offers of brace installation, are often seen in
social media posts by FDHs, including Filipinos.
According to some posts on popular FDH sites, the brace
installations are carried out in public openly, including on the pavements of
Central.
The illegal practice continues despite warnings from
dentists, including those in the Philippines, about the dangers of
getting someone untrained to do the delicate procedure, which could lead to
inflamed gums and tooth loss.
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| Construction sites were among the targeted locations |
Meanwhile, Immigration today issued a statement on the
government website that a total of 17 suspected illegal workers, including eight
holders of recognizance documents, were arrested during joint operations with
police between Apr 12 to 15.
Ten suspected employers were also detained.
In two raids codenamed “Twilight” and “Rally”, 35 premises
were targeted, including a commercial building, construction sites, factories,
massage parlors, recycling depots, residential buildings, restaurants, retail
shops, a salon and a warehouse.
Six men and four women, aged 22 to 57, were arrested for
suspected illegal work. Four were found to have recognizance status, while the
rest were suspected of using and possessing forged HK ID cards.
Five men and one woman, aged 31 to 58, suspected of
employing the illegal workers, were also arrested.
In a much bigger operation codenamed "Champion"
and "Powerplayer", 136
premises were targeted including the airport cargo terminal, loading and
unloading platforms in the New
Territories and Western
District, massage parlours, offices, a park and warehouses.
The operation netted five men and two women, aged 31 to 56,
suspected of doing illegal work. Four of the men were on recognizance.
One man and three women, aged 40 to 54, were also arrested
on suspicion of employing the illegal workers.
The Immigration statement warned that visitors who take up
illegal work, whether paid or unpaid, could be liable to a maximum fine of
$50,000 and up to two years’ imprisonment.
Illegal immigrants or those subject to a removal or
deportation order who are found to engage in illegal work face a stiffer
penalty of up to three years in jail and a maximum fine of $50,000.
For people who hire illegal workers, a steep fine of up to
$350,000 is prescribed, apart from a maximum jail term of three years.
