Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong police work together to combat crime

Hong Kong police have arrested 4,320 people, the youngest aged 12, and seized an estimated HK$38 million ($4.9 million) in proceeds of criminal activity, along with suspected drugs worth more than HK$730 million, in a large-scale anti-crime operation carried out with police in Macau and Guangdong.

During Operation “Thunderbolt 2024”, between June 22 and August 15, more than 44,000 people searched approximately 2,300 locations and shut down numerous illegal establishments, including gambling dens, brothels, unlicensed bars and loan sharks.

Thunderbolt, a cross-border anti-crime operation carried out annually across Hong Kong, Macao and Guangdong, aims to combat illegal activities of triad associations and organized crime syndicates, disrupt transnational criminal operations and block illicit sources of income.

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This year’s operation arrested a total of 4,320 people, including 2,734 men and 1,586 women aged 12 to 92. Among them were 778 mainlanders and 431 non-ethnic Chinese.

They were arrested for crimes including vandalism, possession of offensive weapons, claiming to be a member of a triad, operating illegal gambling establishments, operating a sex business, controlling people for the purpose of prostitution and dealing in dangerous drugs.

Some of those arrested were also charged with dealing in goods known or reasonably believed to be the proceeds of a criminal offence – commonly known as money laundering.

During the operation, police officers seized a large amount of suspected illegal goods, including gambling equipment and offensive weapons.

The seized drugs – or suspected drugs – include marijuana, ketamine, cocaine, ‘ice’ and heroin.

Hong Kong police said they will continue to cooperate closely and exchange intelligence with authorities in the mainland and Macau to combat the illegal activities of triad communities and organized crime syndicates, hoping to maintain public confidence in public safety.

Hong Kong has always been committed to enhancing cooperation and exchanges with organizations on the mainland and abroad to cross-border crime.

On March 27 and 28, the Hong Kong Organized Crime and Triad Bureau held a high-level meeting on combating illegal gambling and illicit activities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

A total of 30 representatives from law enforcement agencies in Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macao attended the conference. During the event, they discussed the latest trends in illegal gambling and cross-border criminal activities, as well as strategies to combat these types of crime in the three regions.

The conference also discussed opportunities for sharing crime information, investigative techniques and operational cooperation.

In the field of international cooperation, Hong Kong has officially joined the South East Asia Justice Network (SEAJust) since June.

SEAJust, founded in 2020, is an informal platform to facilitate cooperation in criminal matters between affiliated jurisdictions, with the aim of promoting international cooperation and intelligence exchange in the fight against all forms of serious and organised crime.

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Hong Kong’s Customs and Excise Department also carried out a joint operation with Australian Border Force and Australian Federal Police in June against airborne drug trafficking.

During the operation, authorities intercepted four air cargo shipments that were used to conceal a total of approximately 13.5 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine and approximately 6 kilograms of suspected cocaine.

Of the total seizure, approximately 12.5kg of suspected methamphetamine with an estimated market value of approximately HK$6.8 million was seized by Customs in Hong Kong.

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