Hong Kong Police File photo:Xinhua

Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department revealed details about 12 Hong Kong people who were detained due to illegal entry into mainland waters on August 23, as the case was being hyped by some anti-government forces and Western media. 

Hong Kong police have received reply from their counterpart in the neighboring Guangdong Province on Friday. They revealed that Guangdong Coast Guard seized a ship suspected of illegally entering the waters of the city of Shenzhen, about 26 nautical miles southeast of the Hong Kong waters, media reported. 

After boarding the ship, the Guangdong coast guard found 12 Hong Kong people who were then arrested in accordance with the law on suspicion of "smuggling across the border."

According to the data provided by the Guangdong police and a search of the marine department's traffic surveillance system and records from marine police digital radar system, the speedboat suspected of smuggling left Pu Toi O at about 7 am on August 23 and entered the mainland waters at about 7:30 am that day.

Investigation revealed that the 12 suspects boarded a speedboat arranged by a smuggling group at Pu Toi O in Sai Kung, New Territories of Hong Kong. One of the suspects set sail and planned to escape to Taiwan via mainland waters, in order to escape his criminal responsibility in Hong Kong. 

Before they boarded the ship, they had paid certain funds to the stowaway group in Hong Kong to arrange their escape, media reported. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said earlier in a tweet that the 12 were “not democratic activists, but elements attempting to separate Hong Kong from China." 

Media reported that at least 10 of the 12 suspects had previously been charged in Hong Kong with producing or possessing explosives, arson and assaulting police, and one of the group members allegedly violated the national security law for Hong Kong.

The 12 Hong Kong suspects have been put under criminal detention, said the Shenzhen police. 

The investigation is still ongoing. And the 12 suspects are expected to be arrested after approval from Shenzhen Yantian District People's Procuratorate, media reported.

Relatives of some of the suspects once asked Hong Kong police to release information such as the locations of the 12 suspects and radar information on the ship when they were detained. 

The Hong Kong police said that no mainland coast guard vessels were seen entering or staying in Hong Kong waters when the 12 suspects were arrested, media reported. 

Relatives also demanded that the Hong Kong government allow face-to-face visits with the 12 currently being detained in Shenzhen. Hong Kong police said the relevant departments would continue to maintain close contact with the families, follow up on the incident and provide appropriate assistance.



Global Times