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Twenty illegal workers and 17 employers or persons-in-charge of workplaces have been arrested in anti-illegal employment operations conducted jointly by the Labour Department and the Police in the past three days.
Labour inspectors and police officers raided 44 suspected spots, including interior decoration sites, retail shops, eating places, elderly homes and hair salons.
Among the 20 illegal workers arrested, nine were found working as sales assistants in retail shops, seven as waiters or general workers in eating places and one hair washer in a hair salon.
Of them, 17 were valid two-way permit holders, one foreign domestic helper, one overstayer and the remaining one could not produce proof of identity. The suspected illegal workers came mainly from Fujian, Guangdong and Hainan.
Senior Labour Officer of the Labour Department Mr Ip Yee-cheung said: "Since January this year, the Labour Department has conducted 89 joint operations with other enforcement departments to combat illegal employment.
"Employing illegal workers is a serious offence. Even a first-time offender will be sentenced to three months' imprisonment. Employers should not breach the law," he stressed.
Mr Ip urged the public to report illegal employment to the Labour Department's hotline 2815 2200. All information provided will be handled in strict confidence.
Ends/Thursday, May 25, 2006
Issued at HKT 19:13
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