Police arrest more parallel traders amid crackdown

Law enforcement agencies vowed to crack down on parallel traders near the border as they made a second series of arrests on mainlander traders this week in North district on Friday afternoon.

The latest arrests – 5 men and 3 women, all of whom hold two-way permits – were made at an industrial centre some 10 minutes’ walk from Sheung Shui MTR station, a hot location that parallel traders use to transport their wares back to the mainland.

Immigration and police officers who jointly conduct the operation also served summons to three other Hongkongers involved in the trade at a shopping centre nearby for obstructing public access.

Principal immigration officer Wong Yin-sang said the mainlanders were arrested on suspicion of breaching conditions of stay by illegally working in Hong Kong.

“Our strategy is to take law enforcement action at any time and at any location, with a view to cracking down on the source,” Wong said.

This was the second arrest of mainlanders amid snowballing discontent among residents in border areas over parallel goods traders.