57 arrested after police raid illegal debt collection syndicate

Police arrest 57 people on suspicion of conducting illegal debt collection activities across Hong Kong. The force also raid a vice establishment, a drug den and three illegal gambling sites.

The police seize a wide array of evidence during its July operation, including 40,000-dollar worth of cash, meth bongs and sets of mahjong. Through CCTV and intelligence, the police targeted an illegal debt collection syndicate.

Investigation shows the syndicate hired teenagers who wish to make a fast buck to carry out illegal debt collection. As a reward, the teens received cash ranging from 500 to 800 dollars. The debt collection methods often involve threatening and splashing red paint on doors.

In mid-July, the police intercepted a 14-year-old boy in Sau Mau Ping and found him carrying a bottle of red paint and a brass knuckles. After investigation, authorities caught another four people of the syndicate, including two core members, aged between 15 and 18.

Apart from debt collection, the police says the syndicate operated five other illegal establishments, such as gambling sites and a drug den, as their main income source, generating a monthly profit of one million dollars.

The force urges parents to take more notice of their children's daily routines and spending habits to avoid them being used by syndicate members for illegal activities.