In an ongoing effort to tackle illegal immigration, Hong Kong and mainland police have arrested 2,943 South and Southeast Asian immigrants on either side of the border.
Oriental Daily reports that the busts were made over three “major operations”, beginning in February, and saw 2,860 Southeast Asians and 83 South Asians arrested by Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan police.
Hong Kong police reportedly gave mainland Chinese authorities information on 94 of the detainees.
At a press conference in Shenzhen, director of the Border Control Department of the Ministry of Public Security, Yin Chengjun, said the people smugglers (also known as snakeheads) were “very organised”, with a “clear division of labour”.
Immigrants are reportedly flown into an airport in Guangzhou before the snakeheads smuggle them into Shenzhen, then across the border into Hong Kong.
Some others reportedly cross the Vietnamese border to Guangxi in another oft-employed route to Hong Kong
“The main objective of sneaking into Hong Kong is to be illegally employed,” said Yin.
Between March 18 and 20, authorities reportedly apprehended key players from one particular smuggling syndicate, which Yin said was headed by a Pakistani national nicknamed “Tiger Boy”, alleged to be a Hong Kong born and raised member of the Wo Shing Wo triad.
The operation, initiated in response to growing numbers of illegal immigrants, began in February, is due to last until July 2017.
Currently, those who arrange passage for illegal immigrants from Macau, Vietnam and mainland China are liable to 14 years’ imprisonment and a maximum fine of HKD5 million. However, snakeheads aiding immigrants of other nationalities in entering and remaining in Hong Kong unlawfully currently face only three years’ imprisonment and a HKD25,000 fine in comparison.
Recently, the Hong Kong government proposed legislation to increase maximum sentence for smuggling people of all nationalities from three years to 14 years. The proposal will be discussed in LegCo on April 12.
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