Latest news with #HongKongPolice
South China Morning Post
18 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
3 arrested for alleged theft worth HK$80,000 on flight from India to Hong Kong
Hong Kong police have arrested three men for stealing property worth more than HK$80,000 (US$10,190) during a flight from India to the city. The force said on Tuesday that the arrests the previous day were made after police received reports from three Indian nationals who had flown to Hong Kong from the country. The victims placed their backpacks on the overhead rack of the cabin, and subsequently found that cash and other property were lost, prompting them to seek help from the force. Three mainland Chinese men aged between 47 and 58 were arrested and detained after a preliminary investigation. The trio had allegedly stolen a pair of bracelets worth HK$50,000 and Hong Kong dollars and foreign currency cash valued at HK$34,400 from the victims. The case is being investigated by a criminal intelligence and support team at the force's airport division.
South China Morning Post
a day ago
- South China Morning Post
Girl, 14, blackmailed in Hong Kong via chat app by user who took video of her
Hong Kong police are investigating the case of a 14-year-old girl who was blackmailed by a stranger on a mobile chat app, who claimed to have taken an indecent video of her. The force on Tuesday said it received a report from the girl at 10.49pm the day before at Tsz Hong Estate in Tsz Wan Shan. According to a police spokesman, the girl met the stranger on a voice chat app called Wefun and her indecent video was filmed via WhatsApp. There was no monetary loss reported. After a preliminary investigation, the force classified the alleged crime as making an unwarranted demand with menaces. No arrests have been made yet, as the case is being investigated by the Wong Tai Sin district investigation team. According to Apple's App Store, Wefun is a platform for 'pure, sincere and warm voice chats' for young people. Interactive games are also available on the app. A check by the Post found that the app provides a number of chatrooms with various themes such as making friends, chatting with a girlfriend, and singing karaoke. Many of the chatrooms use profile pictures with simplified Chinese characters.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Carney's ministers say Hong Kong's new arrest warrants for exiles a threat to Canadians' security
Two ministers in Prime Minister Mark Carney's government are condemning Hong Kong police's new arrest warrants for 19 overseas-based activists and their offer of rewards for information leading to their capture. Officers have accused the activists of violating a national security law imposed by Beijing. In a joint statement Saturday afternoon, Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree said "the actions taken by Hong Kong threaten the sovereignty of Canada and security of the people in this country." "This attempt by Hong Kong authorities to conduct transnational repression abroad, including by issuing threats, intimidation or coercion against Canadians or those in Canada, will not be tolerated." On Friday, a Hong King police statement said the group, called Hong Kong Parliament, aimed to promote self-determination and establish a "Hong Kong constitution," alleging it was using illegal means to overthrow and undermine China's fundamental system or overthrow the institutions in power in the city or China. At the request of police, the city's court issued arrest warrants for activists Elmer Yuen, Johnny Fok, Tony Choi, Victor Ho, Keung Ka-wai and 14 others. They are alleged to have organized or participated in an election abroad for the Hong Kong Parliament, as well as setting up or becoming members of the group. While the group calls itself Hong Kong Parliament, its electoral organizing committee was founded in Toronto in 2022 and its influence is limited. Anand and Anandasangaree said the people targeted by Hong Kong authorities "include Canadians and people with close ties to Canada." The ministers also said Canada reiterates previous calls to repeal the national security law and withdraw all related warrants and bounties. Ministers say bounties amplified online Among the 19 activists, police have already offered 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($174,580 Cdn) for information leading to the arrest of Yuen, Ho, Fok and Choi when warrants for separate activities were issued. For the remaining 15 people, rewards of 200,000 Hong Kong dollars ($34,915 Cdn) were offered, urging residents to provide information about the case or the people. WATCH l Victor Ho of B.C. was among 6 named in a previous announcement: Anand and Anandasangaree said this "marks the third time that international bounties were issued by Hong Kong and represents a deeply troubled escalation in the use of transnational repression by the People's Republic of China." In their statement, the ministers added that Rapid Response Mechanism Canada, which supports Canada's global push to counter foreign state-sponsored disinformation, detected the bounties were being amplified "in an inauthentic and co-ordinated way" through online accounts targeting Chinese-speaking communities. Hong Kong authorities have issued other arrest warrants over the past two years for various activists based overseas, including former pro-democracy lawmakers Nathan Law and Ted Hui.
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
UK blasts Hong Kong rewards for help to catch activists overseas
The United Kingdom has condemned Hong Kong authorities for offering payment in exchange for assisting in the arrest of pro-democracy activists living in Britain, even as the British government begins the process of reinstating an extradition deal with the autonomous Chinese city. Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper issued a joint statement on Friday shortly after Hong Kong announced cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of 19 pro-democracy activists based abroad, including in Britain, who are accused of violating the strict national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. In their statement, Lammy and Cooper called on China to stop targeting opposition voices in Britain. 'The Hong Kong Police Force's issuing of further arrest warrants and bounties on individuals living in the UK is another example of transnational repression,' their statement read. The bounties range from 200,000 to one million Hong Kong dollars (about $25,000-$125,000), depending on the individual the Hong Kong authorities seek to arrest. This is the fourth time Hong Kong authorities have made reward offers, which have drawn strong criticism from Western countries, to which China, in turn, has denounced as 'interference'. In their statement, the two British ministers said that 'this Government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, including those who have made the [United Kingdom] their home. We take the protection of their rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously'. But a recent proposal by the British government to reform extradition rules has prompted serious concerns, with some fearing it could pave the way for a resumption of extraditions to Hong Kong, which have been suspended since the 2020 national security law was enacted. On Friday, Al Jazeera reported that the UK Home Office applied to Parliament to make changes to the country's legislation regarding extradition on July 17, followed by a letter to Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp the next day. 'It is in our national interest to have effective extradition relationships to prevent criminals from evading justice and the UK becoming a haven for criminals,' the July 18 letter from Security Minister Dan Jarvis said. The Home Office also plans to restore an extradition framework with Chile and Zimbabwe, according to the letter, which was shared on X by Conservative MP Alicia Kearns. Cases for Hong Kong and Zimbabwe would both be considered on a 'case-by-case basis', Jarvis said. About 150,000 Hong Kong nationals migrated to the UK under a special visa scheme introduced in 2021. In 2024, legislators in Hong Kong approved a new national security law – referred to as Article 23 – that gave the government new powers to crack down on all forms of dissent on the grounds of alleged treason, espionage, sedition and external interference in Hong Kong's internal affairs. Since then, Hong Kong has been offering bounties for the arrest of activists who have fled the city while facing charges related to the pro-democracy protests. Hong Kong, a former British colony, is a particular sticking point for the UK due to its historical relationship and the sharp decline in political freedoms in Hong Kong since China imposed controversial national security legislation in 2020. The former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997 with the guarantee of a high degree of autonomy, including freedom of speech, under a 'one country, two systems' formula.
Al Arabiya
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
UK condemns Hong Kong's reward offers for suspects living in Britain
The UK on Friday condemned Hong Kong authorities for offering payment in exchange for assisting in the arrest of pro-democracy activists living in Britain. 'The Hong Kong Police Force's issuing of further arrest warrants and bounties on individuals living in the UK is another example of transnational repression,' Foreign Secretary David Lammy and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper said in a joint statement. Hong Kong authorities announced Friday that they are offering cash rewards for information leading to the arrest of 19 pro-democracy activists based abroad, accused of violating the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. The bounties range from about $25,000 (HK$200,000) to $125,000, depending on the individual Hong Kong seeks. This is the fourth time Hong Kong authorities have made this type of appeal, which has already drawn strong criticism from Western countries, which China in turn has denounced as 'interference.' In their statement, Lammy and Cooper called on China to stop targeting opposition voices in Britain. Around 150,000 Hong Kong nationals migrated to the UK under a special visa scheme introduced in 2021. But a recent proposal by the British government to reform extradition rules has sparked serious concerns, with some fearing it could pave the way for a resumption of extraditions to Hong Kong, which have been suspended since the 2020 national security law was enacted. In their statement, the two British ministers said 'this Government will continue to stand with the people of Hong Kong, including those who have made the UK their home. We take the protection of their rights, freedoms, and safety very seriously.'
