By Coconuts Hong Kong, 27 Aug 2014 05:31 0 comments
It seems there are no age restrictions when it comes to parallel trading. Hong Kong’s Immigration Department announced this week that 28 mainlanders, aged between 17 and 70 (!) were arrested on Monday as part of the latest raids via 'Operation Windsand'.
The anti-illegal employment sting saw the eight men and 20 women arrested for breaching the conditions of their stay when they were allegedly caught trading everything from medicine to milk powder in various locations in the Sheung Shui District.
According to authorities, a total of 1,372 mainlanders and 14 Hongkongers have been arrested on parallel trading charges since Operation Windsand was launched in September 2012. Of these, only 201 mainlanders have been prosecuted, with 192 of these sentenced to between four weeks and three months in jail. Charges were dropped for the remaining nine, while 1,169 were simply repatriated.
"Visitors are not allowed to take up employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment," an Immigration Department spokesman said.
Good to see they’re using the full weight of the law then!
Photo: Wikimedia
http://hongkong.coconuts.co/2014/08/27/job-life-mainlanders-aged-17-70-arrested-parallel-trading-hong-kong
