Shenzhen police arrest 48 for extorting from drivers
Shenzhen police have arrested 48 people suspected to belong to gangs that have been extorting money from Hong Kong container-truck drivers by causing minor traffic accidents and then demanding cash as compensation.
Public Security Bureau officers revealed the gangs' ploy last night.
Police have impounded a total of five vehicles believed to have been used in the scam for further investigation.
The Shenzhen Public Security Bureau said that the suspects were still being questioned last night.
The police added that teams of officers were continuing to scour the city for other gang members.
The arrests were made after Shenzhen police received numerous complaints from Hong Kong drivers claiming that they had been forced to pay sums ranging from $1,000 up to several thousand to the gangsters as compensation for accidents for which they said they were not to blame.
The arrests came after a lengthy investigation using information provided by the drivers.
