HK Police Launches Large-scale Anti-illegal Immigration OperationHong Kong police on Thursday launched a large-scale search operation on Hong Kong Island (HKI) to crack down on illegal immigrants (II).Officers from the Police Tactical Unit (PTU), Anti-II Unit and Crime Headquarters of HKI joined the eight-hour operation, which included a comprehensive search in 24 trails in the country parks. Briefing the media before the operation, Peter Cornthwaite, superintendent of the action, said that the operation was part of the police's continuous efforts to combat illegal immigration and crimes committed by illegal immigrants. The number of IIs arrested throughout the territory as well as on HKI has dropped drastically in recent years. Last year, a total of 7,631 IIs were arrested in the territory with 567 of them arrested on HKI, while in 1999, a total of 10,544 IIs were arrested. "Although the number of IIs arrested on HKI in the first five months this year fell to 134 from 247 in the corresponding period last year, such kind of operations will continue and regularly be conducted," Cornthwaite said. |
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