“They sold their country and Hong Kong, and neglected Hongkongers’ interests,” Li said at a press conference. “The National Security Department will pursue them until the end.”

Li warned others to think carefully before trying to provide financial help to those on the wanted list and urged people to come forward with any relevant information.

The chief superintendent said the five had fled overseas and continued to commit offences under the Beijing-imposed law, including inciting secession and subversion, and colluding with foreign countries or external elements to endanger national security. Authorities have said the legislation has extraterritorial effect.

Cheng, 33, was said to have established political organisations Haven Assistance, Hongkongers in Britain and Hong Kong Shadow Parliament, and repeatedly advocated independence for the city on social media.

He was also accused of repeatedly urging foreign countries to impose sanctions on central and Hong Kong government officials, as well as judicial and law enforcement personnel, and engage in other hostile activities against the country.

The former British consulate worker was detained for 15 days by authorities in Shenzhen in 2019 for allegedly soliciting prostitution. He left for Britain afterwards.

Frances Hui, 24, was accused of repeatedly urging nations to impose sanctions, blockades or engage in other hostile actions against the country. She is currently the executive director of concern group We Hongkongers based in the United States.

Similarly, Siu, 24, a graduate of City University and currently living in the US, was accused of repeatedly urging foreign countries to impose sanctions, blockades or engage in other hostile actions against central and Hong Kong government officials and “prosecution personnel”.

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Fok, a 42-year-old former barrister, and Choi, 46, were accused of jointly operating a channel named “Tuesdayroad” on a social media platform and publishing video clips inciting secession and subversion. Both left the city on July 13, 2020.

They were also accused of calling on others to join foreign armies or receive military training overseas, urging them to overthrow mainland and Hong Kong authorities.

The national security law was introduced on June 30, 2020.

Police announced eight unprecedented HK$1 million bounties on July 3 for information leading to each arrest of eight fugitives. They are former legislators Nathan Law Kwun-chung, Dennis Kwok Wing-hang and Ted Hui Chi-fung, unionist Mung Siu-tat, lawyer Kevin Yam Kin-fung, and activists Finn Lau Cho-dik, Anna Kwok Fung-yee and Elmer Yuan Gong-yi.

Li said police had received more than 500 tip-offs involving the eight wanted, noting that some included valuable intelligence.

Two women and two men were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of providing financial help to fugitive former legislators Ted Hui and Law from the original list of eight wanted, according to the chief superintendent.

The four arrested allegedly supplied money through an online crowdfunding platform used for “engaging in activities aimed at secession”, Li said. The amounts involved ranged between HK$10,000 and HK$120,000.

Those detained included an escalator technician, a private tutor and a retiree, all of whom were accused of making monthly contributions through the platform, a source familiar with the case said.

The insider warned police were still hunting other donors to disrupt any help or funding for the wanted opposition figures.

As of Thursday afternoon, the four aged 29 to 68, were still being held for questioning.

Senior Superintendent Hung Ngan said the suspects had been subsidising activities endangering national security allegedly carried out by Ted Hui and Law, and had browsed the pair’s accounts on the platform. Police did not elaborate whether the browsing also involved payments.

Hung said the investigation was still looking into whether the arrested knew Hui and Law personally.

“Is it illegal for people in general to browse information?” he said. “Generally speaking, whether a person’s behaviour is illegal depends on their intention and detailed behaviour.”

Li stopped short of revealing which crowdfunding platform was used, but said people should stop browsing them if payments were made and activities could endanger national security.

In response to the news, Cheng said on his social media account that the HK$1 million bounty was a “lifelong honour”, while Siu said she would “never be silenced” or “back down”. Frances Hui said her advocacy for democracy and freedom would not stop.

Police also dismissed claims that they required activist Agnes Chow Ting to write “letters of repentance” and join an educational trip to Shenzhen as part of her bail conditions.

The 27-year-old said on social media that she was asked to do both before being allowed to leave Hong Kong for Canada in September. Although she was required to report to police this month as part of a national security case, she announced that she would not return.

“I can tell you that according to our practice, police bail is only about the bail money and reporting time,” Li said, warning that Chow would also be wanted by police if she failed to report by an undisclosed date this month.

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“I hope she seizes the opportunity and comes back, then she won’t be a fugitive,” he said. “However, if she doesn’t show up by the set date to report [to police], she will be a fugitive and we will place a warrant on her and deal with her.”

Both the government and Security Bureau expressed “support” for efforts to bring fugitives to justice.

“Fugitives should not take any chances or have any delusion that they could evade criminal liabilities by absconding from Hong Kong,” a government spokesman said.

The bureau added. “The national security law has extraterritorial effect. The police have the responsibility to pursue those who have allegedly committed offences under the national security law outside Hong Kong.”

Beijing’s Office for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong also expressed support for the move by local police, saying it was an effective measure to prevent and punish the actions of opposition figures who endangered national security.