Exclusive | Hong Kong police kick off marathon cross-border crime crackdown ahead of Xi Jinping visit in July
Post learns 29,000-strong force to also hold largest ever anti-terror drill in May to ensure officers ready for any scenario
Police in Hong Kong, Macau and Guangdong province have started a marathon cross-border crackdown on crime in the three jurisdictions ahead of visits by state leaders later this year.
The joint operation, code-named “Thunderbolt”, was launched on Monday and is to last six months – the longest of its kind since 2000.
Past operations, conducted annually, were typically initiated before National Day in October and lasted one to three months.
President Xi Jinping is expected to visit Hong Kong in July to mark the 20th anniversary of the city’s return to Chinese sovereignty. China’s leader is also due to swear in the city’s new chief executive, who will be elected on March 26, and review the local garrison of the People’s Liberation Army.
One source said the police force’s elite search team would inspect every venue, such as hotels and the Convention and Exhibition Centre in Wan Chai, that state leaders will frequent this year.
In addition to combating triad gangs and organised crime, officers are to raid locations such as guest houses being used as hideouts in the three jurisdictions, a force insider said.
