Health Bureau welcomes Ombudsman's direct investigation operation report
The Health Bureau (HHB) welcomed the recommendations made to the Government and the Department of Health (DH) in the Office of The Ombudsman (Ombudsman)'s direct investigation operation report entitled "Effectiveness of Administrative Support Provided for Complaint Handling by Secretariat of Medical Council of Hong Kong under Department of Health, and Department of Health's Regulatory Role" (Report) released today (February 5). The HHB expressed gratitude to the Ombudsman for putting forward a series of pertinent and useful observations and views on strengthening the Medical Council of Hong Kong (MCHK) as the statutory regulatory body for the medical profession. With reference to the Ombudsman's views and the Report, the HHB will formulate detailed proposals to amend the Medical Registration Ordinance (MRO), with a view to enabling the MCHK and its Secretariat to discharge their duties of upholding doctors' professional conduct and continuously enhancing medical professional standards more effectively under the principle of professional autonomy.
Since the Ombudsman announced the launch of a full investigation on November 5 last year, the HHB and the DH have been fully co-operating with the Ombudsman's investigation. Although the MCHK as a statutory professional regulatory body fell outside the scope of the Ombudsman's investigation, the HHB and the DH have, in respect of matters covered by the investigation, liaised and communicated with the MCHK, and provided relevant information to the Ombudsman to facilitate the investigation and formulation of improvement measures. Many of the measures recommended in the Report on the support provided by the DH and the Secretariat of the MCHK for the complaint handling mechanism of the MCHK, as well as the Ombudsman's series of observations and views on the current regulatory framework for the medical profession, align with the HHB's overarching directions in reviewing the MRO, namely to ensure that the legislation for healthcare professions keeps pace with the times, meets societal needs and the public interest, and to enable the MCHK to discharge its various statutory functions more effectively, including its function in handling complaints.
Meanwhile, in response to the request made by the Secretary for Health in October last year, the MCHK has completed its review on improving the complaint handling mechanism and submitted a report and supplementary information to the HHB. In January this year, the HHB commenced a series of consultations on amending the MRO, meeting with patient groups, the two local medical schools, the Hong Kong Academy of Medicine, the Hong Kong Medical Association and other medical professional bodies. The HHB also visited the MCHK yesterday(February 4) to exchange views with members on the amendment to the MRO. The HHB will further take into account the Ombudsman's Report and the views of various stakeholders, and will formulate proposals to amend the MRO having regard to the operational needs of the MCHK. The HHB will also propose measures to strengthen the functions of the Secretariat of the MCHK under the DH. The HHB will brief the Panel on Health Services of the Legislative Council (LegCo) shortly on the proposed directions and enhancement proposals for the MRO, with a target of introducing an amendment bill into the LegCo in the first half of this year.
The Health Bureau (HHB), Photo source: reference image
Cross-boundary forgery syndicate smashed by Immigration Department and Mainland authorities
The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a cross-boundary joint operation with the Exit and Entry Administration Corps of the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department and the Immigration Authority of Zhuhai Municipal Public Security Bureau and successfully neutralised a cross-boundary forgery syndicate, resulting in the arrest of a total of 119 persons and the seizure of a large amount of forgery equipment and forged documents.
In August last year, the Mainland authorities unearthed crucial intelligence related to a syndicate arranging Mainlanders to take up illegal employment in Hong Kong. The ImmD immediately collaborated with the Mainland authorities to conduct an in-depth investigation and successfully identified a cross-boundary forgery syndicate specialising in recruiting Mainlanders to take up illegal employment in Hong Kong. The syndicate had set up forgery workshops on the Mainland for producing forged documents and shipped the forged Hong Kong identity cards to different cities of the Mainland. Syndicate members would transport the forged Hong Kong identity cards into Hong Kong. The syndicate mastermind in Hong Kong would then distribute the forged Hong Kong identity cards to the illegal workers, provide them with accommodation and assist them in seeking employment.
ImmD investigators launched an operation code-named "Sharpspear" from October 2025 to January 2026. They raided a total of 38 premises, including 16 residential premises and 22 working places, and arrested a total of 102 persons, including two syndicate members comprising a mastermind and a core member, 83 suspected illegal workers and persons involved in the case and 17 suspected employers, aged 32 to 74. The two syndicate members are one Mainland resident aged 39 and one Hong Kong resident aged 57. The 83 arrested suspected illegal workers and persons involved in the case comprise 23 men and 60 women, consisting of one Hong Kong resident and 82 Mainlanders, aged 32 to 70. ImmD investigators also seized 40 forged Hong Kong identity cards and 24 copies of forged Hong Kong identity cards. Through this large-scale joint operation, the cross-boundary forgery syndicate has been neutralised. The investigation is still ongoing, and more persons involved in the case may be arrested.
On the Mainland side, two forgery workshops were smashed and a total of 17 syndicate core members were arrested, and three pieces of forgery equipment were seized.
An ImmD spokesman said, "Under the laws of Hong Kong, anyone who uses or possesses a forged identity card commits an offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, a maximum penalty of a fine of $100,000 and 10 years' imprisonment. Any person who without lawful authority or reasonable excuse transfers to another person a Hong Kong identity card commits an offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, a maximum penalty of a fine of $100,000 and 10 years' imprisonment."
The spokesman warned, "Any person who contravenes a condition of stay in force in respect of him or her shall be guilty of an offence. Also, visitors are not allowed to take employment in Hong Kong, whether paid or unpaid, without the permission of the Director of Immigration. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to two years' imprisonment. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and penalties. As stipulated in section 38AA of the Immigration Ordinance, an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land is prohibited from taking any employment, whether paid or unpaid, or establishing or joining any business. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $50,000 and up to three years' imprisonment."
The spokesman stressed that it is a serious offence to employ people who are not lawfully employable. Under the Immigration Ordinance, the maximum penalty for an employer employing a person who is not lawfully employable, i.e. an illegal immigrant, a person who is the subject of a removal order or a deportation order, an overstayer or a person who was refused permission to land, has been significantly increased from a fine of $350,000 and three years' imprisonment to a fine of $500,000 and 10 years' imprisonment to reflect the gravity of such offences. The director, manager, secretary, partner, etc, of the company concerned may also bear criminal liability. The High Court has laid down sentencing guidelines that the employer of an illegal worker should be given an immediate custodial sentence.
According to the court sentencing, employers must take all practicable steps to determine whether a person is lawfully employable prior to employment. Apart from inspecting a prospective employee's identity card, the employer has the explicit duty to make enquiries regarding the person and ensure that the answers would not cast any reasonable doubt concerning the lawful employability of the person. The court will not accept failure to do so as a defence in proceedings. It is also an offence if an employer fails to inspect the job seeker's valid travel document if the job seeker does not have a Hong Kong permanent identity card. Offenders are liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of $150,000 and to imprisonment for one year. In that connection, the spokesman would like to remind all employers not to defy the law by employing illegal workers. The ImmD will continue to take resolute enforcement action to combat such offences.
Under the existing mechanism, the ImmD will, as a standard procedure, conduct an initial screening of vulnerable persons, including illegal workers, illegal immigrants, sex workers and foreign domestic helpers, who are arrested during any operation with a view to ascertaining whether they are trafficking in persons (TIP) and/or forced labour victims. When any TIP and/or forced labour indicator is revealed in the initial screening, the ImmD officers will conduct a full debriefing and identification by using a standardised checklist to ascertain the presence of TIP and/or forced labour elements. Identified TIP and/or forced labour victims will be provided with various forms of support and assistance, including urgent intervention, medical services, counselling, shelter or temporary accommodation and other supporting services. The ImmD calls on TIP and/or forced labour victims to report crimes to the relevant departments immediately.
For reporting illegal employment activities, please call the dedicated hotline 3861 5000, by fax at 2824 1166, email to anti_crime@immd.gov.hk, or submit the "Online Reporting of Immigration Offences" form at www.immd.gov.hk.
Cross-boundary forgery syndicate smashed by Immigration Department and Mainland authorities Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
Cross-boundary forgery syndicate smashed by Immigration Department and Mainland authorities Source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
