Illegal pre-lunar new year renovation works lead to 29 arrests

All save one of the illegal workers arrested were from the Mainland

A total of 29 people, mostly suspected illegal workers, were arrested in an Immigration Department operation that targeted renovation works in the run-up to the Lunar New Year.

The arrested persons included 26 suspected illegal workers comprising 26 men, aged 20 to 57.

Two men and one woman, aged 44 to 56, were also arrested on suspicion of employing the workers in renovation works at two newly built public housing estates.

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At a news briefing held on Tuesday, an Immigration officer said the illegal workers comprised 25 who entered Hong Kong claiming to be mainland tourists, and one who had come from Indonesia. The employers were all local people.

Immigration said the campaign was launched last week in anticipation of a rash in renovation works at private homes in keeping with Lunar New Year tradition.

Immigration Deputy Commander Siu Ka-fai said that many people prefer to hire illegal workers for renovation and cleaning services to save on costs.

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But he said that while the cost was an important consideration, it is equally important to ensure that the hired workers can be legally employed.

Siu also warned that those who employ people who are not lawfully employable face even more severe penalties for violating the law.

Apart from the arrests, Immigration officers also distributed leaflets and deployed a promotional vehicle warning of severe consequences for those who employ illegal workers.

Under Hong Kong laws, all visitors in Hong Kong are not allowed to take up any job, whether paid or unpaid. Those found flouting this law face a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment and a fine of up to $50,000.

The maximum prison term goes up to three years if the illegal worker is also an overstayer, an asylum seeker or an illegal immigrant.

Employers of illegal workers face a more severe penalty of up to ten years in prison and a maximum fine of $500,000. In addition, an immediate custodial sentence is imposed on such employers in line with sentencing guidelines laid down by the High Court.

A year’s jail for possessing forged HKID card

 

Corner where Filipina was found with forged HKID card (Photo: Google Maps)

A Filipina asylum seeker has been been jailed for 12 months after she was convicted at Kowloon City Court of possession of a forged identity card.

Dolores Lumitap, 41 years old, had earlier pleaded guilty to being in possession of a fake Hong Kong Identity Card in the name of Joy Catahina, which is punishable under the Registration of Persons Ordinance.

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Lumitap, who has been issued a recognizance form to use for identification purposes while her application for non-refoulement is pending, was intercepted by police last Nov. 11 at the corner of Shanghai and Dundas  and Streets in Yau Ma Tei.

Officers found the forged ID card, which the police said she had “without lawful authority or reasonable excuse”, after searching through her bag.

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Acting Principal Magistrate Ko Wai-hung chose to hand down a lighter sentence than that prescribed by  Section 7A(1) of the Registration of Persons Ordinance, prescribes the following penalties for possession of a forged HKID card:

• A fine at level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for 2 years on summary conviction, which happened to Lumitap, ; and
• A fine at level 6 ($100,000) and imprisonment for 10 years on conviction on indictment..

HK statutory holidays will remain 14 in 2025

 

Working day after Christmas became the 14th statutory holiday starting 2024

There will be 14 paid statutory holidays this year, which everyone working in Hong Kong should enjoy, including foreign domestic helpers. It is the same number as last year, when the first working day after Christmas was added to the list.

Originally there were only 12 statutory holidays, but 17 public holidays in Hong Kong. An ordinance that took effect in July 2021 provided for the gradual alignment of statutory holidays with general holidays.

The first of the five additional public holidays, the Birthday of Buddha, became effective in 2022. The second one, which falls on the first weekday after Christmas, became effective last month.

Hong Kong will continue to add statutory holidays until the law becomes fully enacted in 2030. The next to be declared a statutory holiday is Easter Monday, which will be effective in 2026, Good Friday to be effective in 2028, and the day following Good Friday, in 2030.

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The 14 statutory holidays for 2025 are:

1.	The first day of January	1 January
2.	Lunar New Year's Day	29 January
3.	The second day of Lunar New Year	30 January
4.	The third day of Lunar New Year	31 January
5.	Ching Ming Festival	4 April
6.	Labour Day	1 May
7.	The Birthday of the Buddha	5 May
8.	Tuen Ng Festival	31 May
9.	Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Establishment Day	1 July
10.	National Day	1 October
11.	The day following the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival	7 October
12.	Chung Yeung Festival	29 October
13.	Chinese Winter Solstice Festival or Christmas Day (at the option of the employer)	21 December or 25 December
14.	The first weekday after Christmas Day	26 December

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Please note:

All employees are entitled to the above statutory holidays. If the statutory holiday falls on a rest day, a holiday should be granted on the day following the rest day which is not a statutory holiday, or an alternative holiday or a substituted holiday or a rest day. An employee having been employed under a continuous contract for not less than 3 months is entitled to the holiday pay which is equivalent to the average daily wages earned by the employee in the 12-month period preceding the holiday.

Reference example:

An employee is granted rest days on Sundays and his/ her employer chooses the Chinese Winter Solstice Festival (21 December) as statutory holiday. As the Chinese Winter Solstice Festival falls on Sunday, the employer should grant a holiday on the next day (i.e. 22 December), but this day should not be a statutory holiday or an alternative holiday or a substituted holiday or a rest day.

Click here for more information on Statutory Holidays

 

 

Brace for cold morning on Friday

 

Photo: HK Observatory

Hong Kong will wake up to a cold morning on Friday, with the minimum temperature plunging to 12 degrees Celsius from the current 15 degrees, according to a forecast from the Hong Kong Observatory.

The cold weather is brought by the approaching intense winter monsoon which is expected to reach the southern coast of Guangdong on Thursday, resulting in cold mornings on Friday and Saturday.

However, the cold winds from the north is expected to be blown westward by the warmer easterlies that will bring cloudy periods and gradually rising temperatures starting Sunday, the forecast said.

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During all this, the weather is expected to be fine and dry, although with brief sunny and rainy periods.

“It is important that members of the public take note of these warnings and take steps to protect themselves and their family against cold or very hot weather,” the Observatory said.

For an update on the status of weather warnings, the public may listen to radio and television broadcasts, call the Observatory's Dial-a-Weather service at 1878200, browse the Observatory's website (https://www.hko.gov.hk) or use the mobile app "MyObservatory".

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For its part, the Labour Department is reminding employers to take appropriate precautions, such as reminding employees who have to work outdoors or in remote areas to wear appropriately warm clothing, and make arrangements for employees to rotate from outdoor to indoor or sheltered work sites as far as possible.

“Employees should take note of the weather report, wear appropriately warm clothing and be mindful of their health conditions. They should notify their supervisors and seek medical help immediately if feeling unwell, such as having cold limbs and body shivering,” the LD said.

31 people arrested in $34 M deepfake scam

 

Police display cash and other items seized from deepfake syndicate (Sing Tao photo)

Police today announced the arrest of 31 people believed to be behind a syndicate using deepfake technology to lure victims into romance and investment scams.

The suspects, aged between 20 and 34, allegedly duped victims located mostly outside Hong Kong, such as Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States, of more than $34 million.

Most of those arrested said they were jobless, while some were university students. Some reports said among those arrested was a football player from the Hong Kong Premier League.

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The arrests were made in two neighboring industrial victims in Kowloon Bay kast week.

Police said the syndicate made use of deepfake technology to woo victims online. They also made use of other new technologies such as AI face swapping, to look good so they can easily gain the trust and affection of the victims.

Once the victim is hooked, he or she is persuaded to send money to a fake investment platform, police said. The proceeds from the swindle is then laundered using bank accounts owned by various people.

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The group is alleged to have provided training and scripts for its members to help them project an image of wealth and investment savvy.

During the raids, officers said so $10 million worth of cash, gold bars, expensive handbags and luxury watches were seized as suspected criminal gains.

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Police said five of those arrested have been charged with conspiracy to defraud as they are suspected core syndicate members. They will appear at Eastern Court tomorrow.

 

HK-bound Filipina offloaded for carrying fake OEC

 

Immigration officers stopped the aspiring OFW from leaving

A 27-year-old Filipina bound for Hong Kong en route to Malaysia was stopped from leaving the Philippines last Dec 30 after she was found with a fake overseas employment certificate (OEC),

According to a statement issued by the Bureau of Immigration, the aspiring overseas Filipino worker was intercepted at Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport after its joint system with the Department of Migrant Workers detected her OEC as fake.

The Filipina initially presented herself as an OFW, and submitted the fake OEC. However, her supposed exit clearance was found to have been issued originally to an OFW.

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She said that she got the fake OEC from an individual that she met in Paranaque, and was introduced to him by a friend. She paid Php10,000 for the fake document.

BI Commissioner Joel Anthony Viado commended the interception and emphasized the importance of technology in preventing illegal activities.

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“The use of our joint verification system with the DMW has proven crucial in detecting fraudulent documents. The BI remains committed to protecting Filipinos by intercepting such attempts to use fake OECs,” said Viado.

“I strongly urge the public to process their documents through proper channels to avoid falling victim to scams,” he added.

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Viado told aspiring OFWs to avoid shortcuts and unlicensed recruiters when looking for a job abroad. They should also verify with the DMW any job offers they receive to avoid scams.

The passenger has been endorsed to the Inter-Agency Council Against Trafficking (IACAT) for further investigation and the filing of charges against her recruiter.

Women urged to avail of services against cervical cancer

 

The Department of Health (DH) has urged women in Hong Kong to avail of its efforts to prevent and fight cervical cancer, the ninth most common female cancer in Hong Kong, as part of the Cervical Cancer Awareness Month activities this January.

It advised women to undergo regular cervical screening to detect the cancer early enough to stop its spread, and for parents to have their female children to take the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

The celebration is in support of the designation of January as Cervical Cancer Awareness Month by the International Agency for Research on Cancer of the World Health Organization (WHO) to raise public awareness and scale up efforts to fight cervical cancer, thus eliminating it as a public health problem in the next century.

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As most cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with high-risk HPV, the DH advised women to:

• Receive the HPV vaccine before sexual debut;
• Undergo cervical screening regularly;
• Practice safe sex (e.g. using condoms and avoiding multiple sexual partners) to prevent HPV infection; and
• Refrain from smoking, as it may increase the risk of cervical cancer.

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“HPV vaccines help prevent cervical cancer and are effective in preventing high-risk HPV, including HPV 16 and 18, with protection rates over 90 per cent,” the DH said in a statement.

“Since the 2019/20 school year, the DH has been providing free HPV vaccinations to eligible Primary Five schoolgirls under the Hong Kong Childhood Immunization Program,” it added.

The DH's School Immunization Teams provide the first dose of the HPV vaccine to Primary Five female students at their schools, and the second dose will be given to them when they reach Primary Six in the following school year. The second dose coverage rate of HPV vaccination for Primary Six girls in the school year 2022/23 was about 92 per cent.

For girls under the age of 18, the DH launched a one-off catch-up HPV vaccination program on December 2, 2024, for female Hong Kong residents born between 2004 and 2008 (i.e. girls aged 18 or below as in 2022, and not covered by the existing program) to receive free HPV vaccinations.

All participants in must have been registered with eHealth. Details of the program, which lasts for about two years, can be found on the DH's website: https://www.chp.gov.hk/en/features/108084.html.

The DH also urged women to undergo regular cervical screening, because those infected with HPV or in the early stages of cervical cancer do not have noticeable symptoms.

The Population Health Survey 2020-22 conducted by the DH revealed that merely half of the eligible women in Hong Kong had ever been screened for cervical cancer.

The DH promotes the Cervical Screening Program to the general public through various channels, such as television, radio, social media, the DH's website and posters. Members of the public can also access information about cervical screening via the "@DH mobile application".

Since 2023, the DH has been regularly sending notifications to women of the appropriate age group through the Cervical Screening Information System and the eHealth mobile app to remind them to undergo regular cervical screening.

In Hong Kong, Maternal and Child Health Centers (MCHCs) and Woman Health Centers of the DH, non-governmental organizations and private healthcare providers provide cervical screening services. Common screening tests for cervical cancer include the HPV test of cervical samples collected by healthcare professionals and/or Cytology test (also called cervical smear or Pap smear).

At the same time, the Primary Healthcare Commission is actively promoting the "life course preventive care plan".

“Based on the core principles of prevention-oriented and whole-person care, a personalized preventive care plan will be formulated to address the health needs of citizens across different life stages with reference to the latest evidence,” the DH said. 

“Family Doctors and primary healthcare professionals will collaborate to provide health advice and education on chronic diseases and cancer screening, as well as healthy lifestyles according to age, sex and personal factors such as family history, including cervical cancer.”

Women who wish to receive cervical screening at MCHCs can schedule an appointment through the 24-hour hotline 3166 6631. For further information on cervical cancer and screening, please visit the DH's website: https://www.cervicalscreening.gov.hk/en/index.html.

Pinay jailed 3 months for money laundering

This is the first money laundering sentence on a Filipino for 2025

The West Kowloon Court opened this year’s litigation of money laundering cases involving Filipinas with a comparatively light sentence for a domestic helper who admitted allowing her bank acccout to be used by criminals to clean their crime earnings.

Wendy Utleg, a 42 years old, was jailed for three months after she pleaded guilty Friday (Jan. 3) at West Kowloon to the charge of dealing with property known or believed to be proceeds of indictable offense, in violation of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance.

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A complaint filed by the Sham Shui Po Police last Nov. 20 said Utleg dealt with $280,592.59 between Feb. 4 and July 11, 2019 , “knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that (the) property … in whole or in part, directly or indirectly represented any person’s proceeds of indictable offense.”

The comparatively light sentence handed down by Acting Principal Magistrate Cheng Lim-chi was based on the fact that the amount of crime money that passed through Utleg’s Hang Seng Bank account was small, compared to previous cases.

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Last year saw long jail sentences meted on Filipinas, one of which reached two years.

Last Dec. 12, the Department of Justice announced that it would seek to get higher sentences for money laundering, in line with new sentencing guidelines set by the Court of Appeal.

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The new guidelines were set by the CA as a result of the growing prevalence of money laundering cases in the community.

The gravity of the sentence will depend on the amount involved, and could be mitigated if the accused pleads guilty to the offence.

DH gets 14 days jail for stealing $140

 

Building where theft was committed (Photo: Google Maps)

How serious would it be if you steal $140 from your employer?

Filipina domestic helper Maricer Aguila, 42 years old, learned the answer to this question today after she appeared at Kwun Tong Court .

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Aguila was jailed for 14 days, and was told to pay compensation of $140 to her employer Amy Wong Ting Ting after she pleaded guilty to theft, in violation of section 9 of the Theft Ordinance which prescribes a maximum penalty of 10 years for the most serious cases.

She was charged with stealing $140 in cash last Nov. 29 at her employer’s flat in Hong Pik Court on Pik Wan Road, Kwun Tong, based on a complaint filed last Dec. 6 by the Kwun Tong Police .

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Acting Principal Magistrate Leung Ka-kie emphasized the seriousness of the offense by saying that Aguila breached the confidence that her employers gave her when they allowed her to work in their home.

Filipina dies after collapsing in Tai Po

 

Photo of village houses in Tseng Tau Tsuen (Wikipedia photo)

A 58-year-old Filipina domestic helper has died after collapsing in a village house at Tseng Tau Tsuen in Tai Po on Thursday, Jan. 2.

Police said the woman had fainted in a room inside the unit. She was rushed unconscious to Tai Po Nethersole Hospital where she was certified dead. No suicide note was found.

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An investigation is ongoing as to the cause of death, though the deceased reportedly had a history of health issues.

Initial investigations indicated no suspicious circumstances were found in relation to the case.

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The Migrant Workers Office at the Consulate said it was still liaising with the police to acertain the Filipina’s name and other details.

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An officer at the Migrant Workers Office told The SUN they had been in touch with the police regarding the case, but have yet to ascertain the victim’s identity. 

Filipina asylum seeker issued arrest warrant, another fined

 

Corner where two Filipinas were arrested (Photo: Google Maps)

A Filipina asylum seeker was ordered arrested today after she failed to show up at the West Kowloon court for a hearing of her two theft cases, while her co-accused who is also an asylum seeker, was fined for not having an ID card and told to come back for her sentence for drugs possession.

Acting Principal Magistrate Cheng Lim-chi also ordered that Arlene Managtag, 36 years old, not be allowed bail if arrested. He reserved judgment on whether or not to confiscate her existing bail of $500 because of her absence.

Managtag is accused of stealing someone else’s recognizance document (form 8), which is issued to those seeking non-refoulement, or protection against being sent back to their home country, as identity document.

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Also found on her was a mobile phone she could not prove she owns, so she was slapped with another theft charge.

Managtag and her co-defendant Conifer Akinchang appeared in court together as a resut of their arrest last Sept. 24 after a routine police check at the corner of Po On and Cheung Fai St. in Cheung Sha Wan.

For her part, Akinchang, aged 44 years, pleaded guilty to possession of 0.18 gram of meth (or shabu) which was found in her possession while she was already in a police car after her arrest for failure to present proof of identity for inspection.

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She pleaded guilty to such failure, which is contrary to section 49 of the Public Order Ordinance, and was fined $500, the amount of her cash bail.

As for her drug conviction, Magistrate Cheng put off her sentencing to Jan. 16 pending a report from the Drug Abuse Treatment Center.

Asylum seeker jailed 16 weeks for overstaying

Immigration Department filed the complaint

More than four years of overstaying has sent a Filipino asylum-seeker to jail for 16 weeks.

Ronnie Turla, 49 years old, pleaded guilty last Tuesday (Dec. 31) at Shatin Court to a complaint of the Immigration Department that he breached his condition of stay, in violation of section 41 of the Immigration Ordinance.

The penalty was handed down by Magistrate Andrew Mok.

Under the said section of the Ordinance, any person who is found to have contravened a condition of stay imposed by Immigration shall face a maximum sentence of a fine at level 5 ($50,000) and imprisonment for two years. 

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Turla arrived in Hong Kong as a tourist in February 2014 and was allowed to stay for two weeks by an Immigration officer.

However, he failed to leave as required by his condition of stay, until his arrest on Aug. 28, 2018.

Turla has since claimed the right to non-refoulement – or protection from being sent back to his country of origin if he meets internationally-accepted conditions -- and was given a recognizance form to serve as his identification document.

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It is not uncommon for overstayers to file for non-refoulement to avoid being sent back home after serving their sentence for violating their visa condition.

A non-refoulement claim is submitted to the Immigration Department and, if denied, the applicant can appeal the decision to the Torture Claims Adjudication Board. If it is upheld, the applicant may go to the High Court and apply for leave to file for judicial review. The final option is to file an appeal if leave is denied.