Assistants to former Hong Kong lawmakers among nine arrested on suspicion of helping fugitives flee to Taiwan
- Police source says assistants worked for opposition activist ‘Long Hair’ Leung Kwok-hung, and ousted duo Yau Wai-ching and Sixtus Baggio Leung
- Those arrested accused of providing funding, arranging transport and organising hideouts in Hong Kong and on self-ruled island
The detained, who included friends of those trying to escape, have been accused of providing funding, arranging a speedboat and organising hideouts for the fugitives in Hong Kong and once they arrived on the self-ruled island.
Police carried out the arrests across the city in the early hours on Saturday. Officers seized electronic devices, more than HK$500,000 (US$64,515) in cash and a receipt for “hundreds of thousands of dollars” for a vessel, Senior Superintendent Ho Chun-tung said.
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Family of 12 detained Hongkongers say government lied about capture
The four men and five women, aged between 27 and 72, were all detained on suspicion of assisting offenders, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.
The two assistants were Tang Yuen-ching, 72, and Chung Suet-ying, 28, according to a force insider.
Tang previously worked for veteran opposition activist and former lawmaker “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung. She allegedly provided a location inside an industrial building in Kwai Tsing district to hide the fugitives.