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"Four Mainland visitors were sentenced to imprisonment at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Courts for taking up illegal work in a foot massage centre," a spokesman for the Immigration Department said today (August 28).

The four male defendants, Hu Yuhua, 27, Huang Junyuan, 36, Luo Qi, 28 and Yang Dehua, 31, each pleaded guilty to one count of breach of condition of stay. The first two defendants were each sentenced to two months' imprisonment while the other two defendants were each sentenced to three months' imprisonment.

Immigration Task Force officers and the Police conducted a joint operation on August 25 and found the four defendants providing foot bathing and massage services in a massage parlour in North Point.

Immigration records showed that the four defendants were Mainland visitors.

Under caution, the first two defendants admitted that they had started working as masseurs since August 2003 whereas the other two started since June 2003. Each defendant received an hourly wage of $40 except for the second defendant who claimed that only free meal was provided to him.

The Immigration spokesman warned, "Visitors are not allowed to take up employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the prior permission of the Director of Immigration. Those who breach the conditions of stay are liable to prosecution and upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and imprisonment for two years."

End/Thursday, August 28, 2003

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