Mainland, HK police nab nearly 3,000 illegal immigrants in joint operation

Mainland and Hong Kong police have arrested 2,943 illegal immigrants in a joint operation to crack down on growing human smuggling, the Ministry of Public Security said Wednesday.

Among the detained immigrants, 2,860 are from Southeast Asia and 83 from South Asia, said the ministry at a press conference held in Shenzhen of Guangdong.

Most illegal immigrants were trying to sneak into Hong Kong from the mainland to seek employment, it added.

Since the 17-month campaign started on February 20, police in Guangdong, Guangxi and Yunnan have dismantled three cross-border smuggling syndicates with the help of Hong Kong police, the ministry announced the results of the first phase of the crackdown.

A total of 142 suspects from the three syndicates were apprehended by police, including 29 from countries in Southeast Asia and South Asia.