Coronavirus: police raid finds 91 Hongkongers crammed into unlicensed pub amid citywide ban on bars, public gatherings
- While the establishment has existed for awhile, police said crowds began getting larger after the government-mandated bar shutdown
- About HK$70,000 worth of illegal drugs inside the upstairs bar, which a source said had ties to a Wo Shing Wo triad gang
Hong Kong police rounded up 91 people found crammed into a 1,000 sq ft unlicensed pub during a raid in the early hours of Tuesday, despite coronavirus regulations barring both group gatherings and the operation of bars.
The arrests were made when officers from the Kowloon West anti-triad squad raided the Vincent Commercial Centre flat in Hillwood Road, Tsim Sha Tsui at about 3.30am.
Officers had to break into the upstairs unit when staff refused to open the door, according to police.
“Intelligence showed the unlicensed pub was controlled by a Wo Shing Wo triad gang, which was also using it to sell illegal drugs to customers,” one police source said.
He said it had been in operation for a while, but began drawing larger crowds after new anti-pandemic regulations shuttered bars across the city last Friday.