Hong Kong resident jailed for conspiracy to defraud and making false statutory declaration
A Hong Kong male resident was charged with one count of conspiracy to defraud and one count of making a false statutory declaration. He pleaded guilty to the charges at Shatin Magistrates' Courts, and was convicted and sentenced to 16 months' imprisonment yesterday (August 31).
The Shatin Magistrates' Courts, the Shatin Law Courts Building
The Outside Investigation Section of the Immigration Department (ImmD) through intelligence analysis found that the 32-year-old defendant married a Mainland female resident in Hong Kong in February 2025. The said female later obtained a Confirmation Certificate on Delivery Booking from a local private hospital for delivery services in Hong Kong by virtue of her marital relationship with the defendant. The said female attempted to enter Hong Kong for delivery in June of the same year. Due to doubts about the marital relationship between her and the defendant, she was refused permission to land by the ImmD and subsequently gave birth on the Mainland.
During the follow-up investigation by the ImmD, the defendant was arrested. The defendant admitted under caution that under the arrangement of a middleman, he was paid a total of about $50,000 as a monetary reward to contract a bogus marriage with the Mainland female resident in order to assist her to obtain visit endorsements and residency status in Hong Kong. The defendant also admitted that he knowingly made a false statutory declaration at a District Office, claiming to be the father of the expectant child of the Mainland femaleresident even though he knew that the expectant baby was not born to him, in order to assist the Mainlandfemale resident to obtain a Confirmation Certificate on Delivery Booking for delivery in Hong Kong. The investigation of other suspects is still underway, and the ImmD does not rule out the possibility of further arrests.
"The ImmD is concerned about the situation of non-local pregnant women seeking to give birth in Hong Kong by illegal means. While great efforts are made to intercept non-local pregnant women without a confinement booking at the control points, vigorous enforcement actions have also been taken to combat related immigration offences committed by non-local pregnant women and their abettors. Furthermore, the ImmD will continue to spare no effort in combating bogus marriages. For people who have obtained their residency in Hong Kong by fraudulent means, their Hong Kong identity card and residence status will be invalidated according to the laws of Hong Kong. They will also be subject to removal back to their place of origin," an ImmD spokesman said.
"According to the Immigration Ordinance, any person who makes any statement or representation which he knows to be false or does not believe to be true to immigration officers commits an offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction face a maximum fine of $150,000 and imprisonment for 14 years. Aiders and abettors are also liable to prosecution and the same penalties. Conspiracy to defraud is a serious offence. Offenders are liable to prosecution and upon conviction, under the Crimes Ordinance, the maximum penalty is imprisonment for 14 years. Moreover, under the Crimes Ordinance, a person who knowingly and wilfully makes a false statutory declaration shall be liable to prosecution and, upon conviction, to the maximum penalty of imprisonment for two years," the ImmDspokesman warned.
Source: AI-found images
