Mr Tsang denied the SAR had become a centre for the booming human cargo trade and said his department had tipped off US authorities in the recent interception of stowaways.

'The recent cases are proof of our successful intelligence-sharing,' he said, adding that it would be 'just wrong' to turn successful international co-operation into claims that Hong Kong was becoming a shipment centre for human cargo.

Four cargo freighters carrying scores of mainland stowaways were intercepted by the US this month and in December. The ships had all passed through Hong Kong.