Mainland China security officials say they detained Hongkonger who went missing crossing Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge on suspicion of smuggling
- Chung, 53, accused by police of being an ‘important gang member’ in operation taking mobile phones over borders
- Security on world’s longest sea crossing has been tightened ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Macau
A Hongkonger who has been missing since Friday was detained on suspicion of smuggling offences while travelling on the mega bridge to Macau, authorities from mainland China said on Monday.
Security officials from Guangdong said a man named Chung, 53, was held on Friday afternoon by Zhuhai police and customs, who accused him of being involved in the smuggling of mobile phones in August 2012.
Sources said the man, called Chan in previous reports, was Chung Sun-ming. His family contacted Hong Kong police on Saturday and said he had gone missing after leaving for Macau.
He was wanted by customs in the mainland border city of Shenzhen, according to the Guangdong provincial public security department.
“Chung is an important member of the gang, and Zhuhai border control has already transferred him to the relevant authority,” the department said in a post on Weibo, a microblogging site popular on the mainland.