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| Police hold a press briefing on the arrests |
A pre-dawn raid by law enforcers on several residential estates in Tseung Kwan O and Tai Po early today, Sunday, resulted in the arrests of 16 people suspected of engaging or abetting illegal work.
The group, comprising 12 men
and four women aged between 27 and 66, were arrested by a team of 80 officers
from the police and Immigration Department.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
The raids were conducted at
cleaning stations, refuse collection points and staff rest areas in the
estates.
Of the 16 arrested, 12 were
suspected illegal workers hired by four local foremen to do cleaning work at
housing estates and malls for which they were paid between $300 to $500 per
day.
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| PRESS THIS FOR DETAILS |
Of the 12 suspected illegal
workers, seven hold recognizance papers or documents that allow them to pursue
applications for non-refoulement or against being sent back home.
Three of the workers were illegal
immigrants, one came in as tourist, while another was a two-way permit holder
from China.
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| PINDUTIN PARA SA DETALYE |
Most of the non-Chinese
workers were Vietnamese.
The four other people arrested
were local foremen who had recruited the illegal workers through referrals from
former recruits.
A number of forged documents
were seized during the operation, including identification documents, identity
card copies, work uniforms, employment records, and cleaning equipment.
An investigation into the operation
is underway, and more arrests may follow as officers contact the companies
involved in hiring the illegal workers.
Immigration has again reminded
employers to take extra care in verifying the legal employment status of
jobseekers.
Illegal work is a serious offence
in Hong Kong, with offenders facing a maximum jail term of between two and
three years, and a $50,000 fine.
Those who employ illegal workers are punished more severely, with a maximum jail term of 10 years and fine of up to $500,000.
