SAR immigration officers are investigating how a mentally handicapped Hong Kong man found by mainland officials in Shenzhen last week managed to cross the border without travel documents.
The case comes six months after a similar incident, which involved autistic teenager Yu Man-hon. It has also unleashed further criticism from parents of mentally disabled children who claim the Immigration Department has not learned its lesson. Man-hon, 16, has never been found.
The latest incident involves a 22-year-old man who was found at Huanggang control point a day after he was reported missing.
The Immigration Department last night said it was still investigating how the man, surnamed Tsoi, 'sneaked into' the mainland on Thursday last week. 'We have no idea how he managed to sneak into the mainland. He was unable to tell us or his family how he ended up in Shenzhen,' an immigration official said.
It is understood the department could not find any record of the man leaving Hong Kong. It also remained unclear whether he had crossed over the border at the SAR and mainland passenger checkpoints.
The family of Mr Tsoi, whose mental age is unknown, reported him as missing to the police at about 4.45pm on Wednesday last week.