National security police arrest 11 accused of helping Hong Kong fugitives
- Eight men and three women were held on suspicion of assisting offenders, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail
- Lawyer Daniel Wong, also a Kowloon City district councillor, was among those arrested
Daniel Wong Kwok-tung, a lawyer who tried to help the 12 people detained in mainland China, is escorted by police as he returns to his office. Photo: ReutersNational security police in Hong Kong have arrested a lawyer and 10 others on suspicion of helping 12 fugitives in their attempt to flee the city.
A police source confirmed the arrests early on Thursday of eight men and three women aged 18 to 72 for “assisting offenders”, an offence under the Criminal Procedure Ordinance carrying a maximum penalty of 10 years in jail.
Lawyer Daniel Wong Kwok-tung, who is also a Kowloon City district councillor, wrote on his Facebook page that officers from the city police force’s National Security Department arrived at his home at 6.10am. He said he would provide updates later.
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Wong was taken to Sha Tin Police Station before he was led to his council office for a search of the premises.
Investigations so far indicated the 11 were not in breach of any offences under the national security law, the insider added.
The source said the national security unit led Thursday’s operation because they were overseeing the fugitive’s cases, adding none of those arrested had been detained by the department before.
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Wong was known for providing legal assistance to protesters arrested during the social unrest, and was also behind a campaign to set up a cafe in Taiwan employing exiled Hong Kong demonstrators.
Willis Ho Kit-wang, one of 13 activists convicted over the storming of the city’s Legislative Council in 2014, also said on Facebook that her mother was arrested on Thursday morning.
She said she understood her mother, surnamed Cheung, was detained in relation to the fugitives case.