More arrests as Hong Kong continues crackdown on parallel goods trading
Eight mainland visitors suspected of parallel goods trading have been arrested in the last two days, the Immigration Department said on Wednesday.
Eight mainland visitors suspected of parallel goods trading have been arrested in the last two days, the Immigration Department announced on Wednesday.
Four men and four women aged between 30 and 57 were arrested for breaching their condition of stay by being involved in suspected parallel goods trading in areas around Man Tin Cheung Park in Lok Ma Chau, and San Wan Road and Ka Fu Close in Sheung Shui. The arrests were carried out on February 16 and 17.
The goods seized included milk powder, food, red wine, skin-care products and electronic products.
The raid coincides with the traditional Lunar New Year surge of cross-border visitors entering Hong Kong.
Parallel trading in most goods is not illegal in Hong Kong, so the action against the traders had been taken under immigration laws, on the grounds that they suspected traders had violated their conditions of stay.
Some 1,951 mainlanders and 14 Hong Kong residents suspected of parallel goods trading have been arrested in a series of raids codenamed “Windsand” since September 2012 under a joint-police and immigration initiative.