Bogus marriage ring in Hong Kong broken up
By Wang Qingchu |
December 23, 2011, Friday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
A crime ring alleged to have arranged 180 bogus marriages between Hong Kong residents and mainlanders to get the latter visiting visas to the special administrative region has been busted, a report said yesterday.
Nineteen people, all Hong Kong residents, have been arrested on suspicion of cheating the Hong Kong Immigration Department and instigating others to make false claims, Wen Wei Po reported. They allegedly arranged at least 180 sham marriages and charged 40,000 yuan (US$6310)for each case, Leung Kwok-hung, assistant director of the department, was quoted as saying.
The crime ring ran ads in newspapers last year, hiring Hong Kong residents to marry mainlanders to help them get relative visas, which allow longer stays, the report said. The mainlanders used the fake marriages to enter the island and overstay their visas. Each Hong Kong resident received HK$5,000 (US$642) to HK$10,000 for marrying mainlanders, the report said.
Immigration officials confiscated identity documents of more than 70 Hong Kong residents in the apartment of the ring leader. More arrests might come, Leung said.
The Hong Kong Immigration Department has tightened scrutiny on suspicious marriages since July. So far 19 couples have given up registering in Hong Kong and another five people were given jail terms of four to 14 months for fraud and making false claims.
Under Hong Kong law, making false statements to the Immigration Department is punishable by up to 14 years behind bars and HK$150,000 in fines.
Nineteen people, all Hong Kong residents, have been arrested on suspicion of cheating the Hong Kong Immigration Department and instigating others to make false claims, Wen Wei Po reported. They allegedly arranged at least 180 sham marriages and charged 40,000 yuan (US$6310)for each case, Leung Kwok-hung, assistant director of the department, was quoted as saying.
The crime ring ran ads in newspapers last year, hiring Hong Kong residents to marry mainlanders to help them get relative visas, which allow longer stays, the report said. The mainlanders used the fake marriages to enter the island and overstay their visas. Each Hong Kong resident received HK$5,000 (US$642) to HK$10,000 for marrying mainlanders, the report said.
Immigration officials confiscated identity documents of more than 70 Hong Kong residents in the apartment of the ring leader. More arrests might come, Leung said.
The Hong Kong Immigration Department has tightened scrutiny on suspicious marriages since July. So far 19 couples have given up registering in Hong Kong and another five people were given jail terms of four to 14 months for fraud and making false claims.
Under Hong Kong law, making false statements to the Immigration Department is punishable by up to 14 years behind bars and HK$150,000 in fines.
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