In the early hours of 29 January, Hong Kong’s New Territories South regional police, airport district officers and the Immigration Department swept through hotels, flats and street-level shops in Kwai Tsing, Tsuen Wan, Sha Tin and Tung Chung, netting 35 suspects for a range of immigration and forgery offences. (hk01.com)
Codenamed “Champion” and “Landmaster”, the coordinated crackdown targeted both prostitution rings and underground labour brokers who supply casual workers to construction sites and restaurants. Among those arrested were 13 mainland Chinese women accused of breaching their conditions of stay by providing sex services, four local men suspected of employing illegal workers, and individuals carrying forged Hong Kong identity cards. The suspects, aged 20-69, were detained for offences including overstaying, using forged documents and accepting employment while on visitor status.
The raids reflect government concern that an influx of short-term visitors—approaching pre-pandemic volumes—could fuel a shadow labour market if left unchecked. Police said they would continue intelligence-led ‘blitz’ operations in the run-up to the holiday travel peak, and urged landlords and employers to verify tenants’ and workers’ status via the Immigration Department’s online “iPermit” system.
![35 arrested as Hong Kong police and Immigration mount multi-district ‘Champion’ raids]()
Amid this heightened enforcement, companies and individual travellers who want to stay on the right side of Hong Kong’s immigration rules can turn to VisaHQ for fast, reliable support. The service’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) lets users review current entry requirements, assemble the correct paperwork and submit visa or work-permit applications online, helping to minimise the risk of accidental non-compliance.
For HR and mobility managers, the operation underscores the importance of strict right-to-work checks when engaging third-party service providers such as office movers, cleaners and event staff. Businesses found to have “knowingly” hired an unauthorised employee face fines of up to HK$350,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment under the Immigration Ordinance.
The Immigration Department reminded visitors that remaining in Hong Kong for work or paid services without an employment visa is illegal, regardless of the duration or nature of the task.
Codenamed “Champion” and “Landmaster”, the coordinated crackdown targeted both prostitution rings and underground labour brokers who supply casual workers to construction sites and restaurants. Among those arrested were 13 mainland Chinese women accused of breaching their conditions of stay by providing sex services, four local men suspected of employing illegal workers, and individuals carrying forged Hong Kong identity cards. The suspects, aged 20-69, were detained for offences including overstaying, using forged documents and accepting employment while on visitor status.
The raids reflect government concern that an influx of short-term visitors—approaching pre-pandemic volumes—could fuel a shadow labour market if left unchecked. Police said they would continue intelligence-led ‘blitz’ operations in the run-up to the holiday travel peak, and urged landlords and employers to verify tenants’ and workers’ status via the Immigration Department’s online “iPermit” system.
Amid this heightened enforcement, companies and individual travellers who want to stay on the right side of Hong Kong’s immigration rules can turn to VisaHQ for fast, reliable support. The service’s Hong Kong portal (https://www.visahq.com/hong-kong/) lets users review current entry requirements, assemble the correct paperwork and submit visa or work-permit applications online, helping to minimise the risk of accidental non-compliance.
For HR and mobility managers, the operation underscores the importance of strict right-to-work checks when engaging third-party service providers such as office movers, cleaners and event staff. Businesses found to have “knowingly” hired an unauthorised employee face fines of up to HK$350,000 and up to three years’ imprisonment under the Immigration Ordinance.
The Immigration Department reminded visitors that remaining in Hong Kong for work or paid services without an employment visa is illegal, regardless of the duration or nature of the task.
