Police bust illegal gambling, vice and cigarette operations in Sham Shui Po industrial units, 14 arrested
Hong Kong police and customs raided industrial units in Sham Shui Po from October 27 to November 2, arresting 14 people and seizing duty-not-paid cigarettes, alternative smoking products, and gambling paraphernalia.
Police and Customs conducted a joint operation codenamed "BLAZING ZONE" in Sham Shui Po from October 27 to November 2, raiding multiple industrial building units and smashing two suspected illegal gambling dens, a suspected illicit cigarette storage warehouse, a suspected vice establishment and an unlicensed massage parlour.
Fourteen people were arrested — six local men, seven local women and one Macau woman, aged between 33 and 78. They were held on suspicion of managing a vice establishment, assisting in managing a vice establishment, operating an unlicensed massage parlour, operating a gambling establishment, gambling in a gambling establishment, overstaying, and offences under the Dutiable Commodities Ordinance and the Smoking (Public Health) Ordinance.
Officers seized about 120,000 duty-not-paid cigarettes and about 26,200 alternative smoking products with a total market value of about HK$600,000 and a duty value of about HK$400,000. They also seized two electric mahjong tables, four sets of mahjong gambling paraphernalia, a large quantity of lubricant, adult toys and disposable towels.
Five of the arrested men and four other arrested people have been charged and will appear at West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on November 5, 27 and 28. The remaining suspects have been released on bail pending investigation.