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A female Mainland visitor was convicted of making false representation to an Immigration Officer and breaching of condition of stay in the Fanling Magistrates' Courts and was sentenced to eight months' imprisonment today (May 10).
The 30-year-old defendant holding People's Republic of China (PRC) passport arrived in Hong Kong on May 5. She told an Immigration Officer that she was in transit to Bangkok and presented an itinerary showing that she would depart on the following day. She was then granted entry to Hong Kong. She was arrested during a joint enforcement operation mounted by the Immigration Department and the Police on May 7. Upon further investigation by the Immigration Department, the defendant admitted that her actual purpose of visit was not to transit via Hong Kong to Bangkok but took up sex work in Hong Kong.
"Under the laws of Hong Kong, any person who makes false representation to Immigration Officers commits an offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, the maximum penalty will be a fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years," an Immigration Department spokesman said.
The spokesman warned that 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.
Ends/Saturday, May 10, 2014
Issued at HKT 13:23
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