A 58-year-old Hong Kong male resident charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud was convicted and sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment by Shatin Magistrates' Courts yesterday (July 7).

     The Outside Investigation Section of the Immigration Department (ImmD) through intelligence analysis suspected the defendant, acting as a middleman, had arranged for a Hong Kong male resident to enter into a bogus marriage with a Mainland female resident in Hong Kong to assist the Mainland female to obtain visit endorsements and residence status in Hong Kong. The ImmD's comprehensive investigation revealed that the couple registered their marriage in Hong Kong under the arrangement of the defendant in 2023. The defendant subsequently accompanied and assisted the Mainland female resident on multiple occasions in handling relevant documents and application procedures, charging her a total intermediary fee of RMB100,000.

     The defendant was subsequently arrested by the ImmD and charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud. After trial, the defendant was convicted and sentenced to 15 months' imprisonment yesterday.
 
     The Mainland female resident in the case was previously convicted of conspiracy to defraud and sentenced to nine months' imprisonment. The Hong Kong male resident who contracted the bogus marriage had earlier pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to defraud and is pending sentencing by the court. The investigation of other suspects is still underway, and the ImmD does not rule out the possibility of further arrests.

     "The ImmD has been very concerned about non-Hong Kong residents staying in Hong Kong by means of a marriage of convenience, and will continue to spare no effort in combating the related illicit activities. For people who have obtained their residence in Hong Kong by fraudulent means, their Hong Kong identity card and residence status will be invalidated according to the laws of Hong Kong. They will also be subject to removal back to their place of origin," the ImmD spokesman stressed.

     "According to the Immigration Ordinance, any person who makes any statement or representation which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true to immigration officers commits an offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, face a maximum fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and the same penalties. Moreover, according to the Crimes Ordinance, anyone who commits the offence of conspiracy to defraud is liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for 14 years," the ImmD spokesman warned.

Ends/Wednesday, July 8, 2026
Issued at HKT 18:00

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