700 non-residents deported on criminal grounds

The Unitary Police Service (SPU) announced yesterday at a special press conference that 704 non-residents have been deported after being found guilty of criminal offenses across a three-month period.
The occasion was held to reveal the impact of the “Thunderbolt 2021,” a tripartite joint operation between the Macau, Guangdong and Hong Kong police authorities. It was disclosed that the operation took place in two phases, with the first phase held between June 6 and July 11, and the second between August 16 and 30.
Local police authorities, including the Macao Customs (SA), the Public Security Police Force (PSP) and the Judiciary Police (PJ), together held a total of 746 operations, with a focus on cross-boundary organized crimes, illicit substances, illegal gambling, and illegal currency exchange, among others.
During the two phases of the operations, the authorities arrested 704 non-residents who were deported under the order of a court of law. According to the authorities, they have committed one or more instances of criminal offenses, overstay offenses, illegal immigration, illegal currency exchange or otherwise conducted activities that were not permitted by the law applicable to non-residents.
Meanwhile, 516 local residents have been put before a court of law due to allegedly committing criminal offenses. Of these, 271 have been subjected to mandatory measures, such as facing custody or surrendering travel documents.
The authorities have also intercepted 13 individuals under court orders. They were either on custody or interception orders. Among them, two have been delivered to prison to serve their sentences immediately.
Apart from conducting sudden inspections on casinos, entertainment venues and the surrounding neighborhoods, the operations also sought to tighten interception and monitoring on streets, border checkpoints, and coastal and territorial waters.
In all 746 operations, the local authorities deployed a total of 9,721 officers, investigated 31,086 people and taken 2,172 of them to stations. The operations concerned 443 cases.
Wrapping up, the SPU said that the joint operation had achieved the expected outcomes. It added that the pandemic had added greater uncertainties to society, which led to changes in criminal trajectories and characteristics.
“Before 2019, crimes mainly involved non-residents, especially residents of Hong Kong,” Vong Chi Hong, assistant to the Commander-General of the SPU, said. He added that crimes have changed forms since the pandemic swept through the world. “For example, more people started using mailing services to deliver illicit addictive substances.”
He explained that the new mode of criminal offense has posed new challenges for the police authorities.
As Macau residents have also picked up online shopping, the massive number of incoming parcels has meant extra efforts for the police authorities sorting out suspicious pieces.
Local police authorities stated that the tripartite partnerships will continue. The three jurisdictions will step up in the exchange of intelligence to collaboratively safeguard the region’s security.

HK seizes HKD3.6b in betting records

Hong Kong’s chief superintendent Ryan Wong Wai of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) said officers from the bureau smashed two triad-controlled bookmaking operations during the crackdown, arresting 40 people and seizing HKD3.6 billion in betting records on football matches and horse racing.
The official said that it was possible that illegal gambling activities were on the rise because of border closures amid the pandemic.
According to the South China Morning Post, 2,320 people aged between 11 and 84 were arrested in Hong Kong for drug trafficking, deception, bookmaking, money laundering and similar offences.
During the operation “Thunderbolt,” over 5,500 people were rounded up in Macau, Hong Kong and Guangdong.