**************************************************
Police arrested about 1,000 people and seized illicit goods worth more than $17 million in a tripartite anti-crime joint operation mounted by the Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau Police authorities since August 21.
The intelligence-led enforcement operation codenamed "Thunderbolt 09" was aimed at illegal activities of triad societies and organised crime syndicates, neutralising cross-border crimes, and interdicting the criminals' source of income.
The Superintendent of Organized Crime and Triad Bureau, Mr Kwan Kim-fai, said at a press conference today (September 24) that another important objective of the operation was to raise public awareness about crime prevention before the Hong Kong 2009 East Asian Games, the 60th anniversary of the foundation of the People’s Republic of China and the 10th anniversary of the Macau SAR.
During the operation, about 3,700 locations including discos, amusement game centres, massage establishments and residential units were searched.
Police have shut down 39 vice establishments and 17 illegal gambling dens and arrested 999 people for various offences including triad related offences, vice related offences, gambling and drugs offences, as well as trade and commodities related offences.
The arrested persons included 606 males and 393 females. Among them, 290 were Mainlanders and 18 were Mainland illegal immigrants.
During the operation, police also seized more than 14 kilogrammes of ketamine, 1.37 kilogrammes of cocaine as well as various types of psychotropic drugs worth about $3 million.
About 80,000 pornographic and pirated compact discs worth about $2.5 million were also seized.
Together with $11 million worth of soccer and horseracing betting records plus various items including 7,200 rolls of contraband cigarettes, 150 counterfeit items such as leather bags and watches. The total seizure was worth more than $17.7 million.
"According to the experience in the past few years, we believe that the annual ‘Operation Thunderbolt’ could serve as an effective way to combat local and cross-boundary triad-related activities" Mr Kwan said.
"With the advancement of telecommunications technology, effective criminal intelligence exchange mechanism and professional enforcement capacities, the three enforcement agencies will continue to fight illegal cross-boundary activities through intelligence and the well-established exchange platform" he said.
Police Report No. 4
Ends/Thursday, September 24, 2009
Issued at HKT 19:39
NNNN
