Mainland and Hong Kong Authorities Neutralise Major Cross-Boundary Forgery Syndicate
Joint operation leads to 119 arrests and dismantling of fraud workshops linked to illegal employment facilitation
Hong Kong and mainland Chinese law enforcement agencies have jointly dismantled a sophisticated cross-boundary forgery syndicate that produced bogus identification documents and facilitated illegal employment in the city, in one of the largest operations of its kind.
The Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region announced that, in collaboration with the Exit and Entry Administration Corps of the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department and the Immigration Authority of Zhuhai Municipal Public Security Bureau, a months-long investigation successfully neutralised the criminal network.
The operation, code-named “Sharpspear,” was initiated after mainland authorities uncovered intelligence in August of last year indicating a syndicate arranging mainland residents to work illegally in Hong Kong.
From October 2025 to January 2026, investigators raided 38 premises across multiple districts and arrested 102 individuals, including the syndicate’s mastermind and core member.
Most of those detained were mainland residents alleged to be illegal workers or associates, and seventeen employers believed to have engaged in hiring illegal labour were also taken into custody.
Law enforcement officers seized 40 forged Hong Kong identity cards and 24 photocopies of forged documents during the raids, evidence of the network’s extensive production and distribution apparatus.
On the mainland, two illicit forgery workshops were dismantled, with seventeen core members arrested and forgery equipment seized.
Authorities underscored that the syndicate had operated for approximately one year, employing a coordinated system of document fabrication and recruitment to supply forged identity cards to illegal workers and facilitate their placement in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s Immigration Department emphasised that using or possessing forged identity cards is a serious offence under local law, punishable by fines and imprisonment.
Legal penalties have also been increased for employers who hire persons not lawfully employable in the city, reflecting authorities’ focus on deterring exploitation of forged documentation to undermine immigration and labour regulations.
The department reaffirmed its commitment to resolute enforcement and urged the public and employers to remain vigilant in verifying legal status before employment, reinforcing the rule of law and the integrity of Hong Kong’s immigration and employment systems.
The Immigration Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region announced that, in collaboration with the Exit and Entry Administration Corps of the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department and the Immigration Authority of Zhuhai Municipal Public Security Bureau, a months-long investigation successfully neutralised the criminal network.
The operation, code-named “Sharpspear,” was initiated after mainland authorities uncovered intelligence in August of last year indicating a syndicate arranging mainland residents to work illegally in Hong Kong.
From October 2025 to January 2026, investigators raided 38 premises across multiple districts and arrested 102 individuals, including the syndicate’s mastermind and core member.
Most of those detained were mainland residents alleged to be illegal workers or associates, and seventeen employers believed to have engaged in hiring illegal labour were also taken into custody.
Law enforcement officers seized 40 forged Hong Kong identity cards and 24 photocopies of forged documents during the raids, evidence of the network’s extensive production and distribution apparatus.
On the mainland, two illicit forgery workshops were dismantled, with seventeen core members arrested and forgery equipment seized.
Authorities underscored that the syndicate had operated for approximately one year, employing a coordinated system of document fabrication and recruitment to supply forged identity cards to illegal workers and facilitate their placement in Hong Kong.
Hong Kong’s Immigration Department emphasised that using or possessing forged identity cards is a serious offence under local law, punishable by fines and imprisonment.
Legal penalties have also been increased for employers who hire persons not lawfully employable in the city, reflecting authorities’ focus on deterring exploitation of forged documentation to undermine immigration and labour regulations.
The department reaffirmed its commitment to resolute enforcement and urged the public and employers to remain vigilant in verifying legal status before employment, reinforcing the rule of law and the integrity of Hong Kong’s immigration and employment systems.
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