Hong Kong Police Arrest 127 in Crime Syndicate Crackdown

Hong Kong police arrested 127 people in a crackdown on a Vietnamese-led crime syndicate accused of illegal lending, operating illicit businesses and assisting undocumented immigrants in West Kowloon. The arrests followed a six-month undercover investigation and raids on Oct. 8 and 9, according to Hong Kong media reports. Police identified 10 suspects as core members of the group, including a Vietnamese woman holding a Hong Kong identity card who was suspected of leading the organization.

Authorities said the group had operated for at least a year and targeted members of the Vietnamese community. According to police, the syndicate charged borrowers HK$100 per day for every HK$10,000 borrowed, creating an annual interest rate of about 3,700 percent. The rate exceeded Hong Kong's statutory lending-rate cap of 48 percent.

Investigators said borrowers who struggled to repay debts were allegedly pressured into rotating savings arrangements and faced threats, assaults or unlawful detention. Police also said some victims were forced into criminal activities.

The group was suspected of using grocery shops and a Vietnamese association as fronts for its operations. Officers seized more than HK$2 million in cash and valuable assets, along with loan records, suspected counterfeit-document equipment and suspected drugs. Police said the syndicate allegedly provided counterfeit Hong Kong identity cards and construction worker cards to undocumented immigrants for HK$2,000 to HK$2,500 each. Authorities said language barriers and immigration concerns may have discouraged some victims from reporting offenses.

The suspects included 55 men and 72 women aged between 23 and 92, and police said further arrests had not been ruled out. The Hong Kong government reported more than 7,000 Vietnamese residents living in the city as of September 2024.