Hong Kong national security law: 3 teenagers among 5 arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences
- Four male suspects and girl detained on Monday morning in Kowloon Tong, Wong Tai Sin, Kwun Tong and Shau Kei Wan
- Suspects all believed to be members of pro-independence group ‘Returning Valiant’
Hong Kong’s national security police have arrested five more people, including three teenagers, in connection with an alleged bomb plot by a pro-independence group last week.
Four male suspects, aged 15 to 37, and a 17-year-old girl were detained in a series of raids on Monday. A force insider said the arrests took place in Kowloon Tong, Wong Tai Sin, Kwun Tong and Shau Kei Wan.
The suspects were arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit terrorism under the national security law, an offence that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
The source said all five – three school pupils, a property manager and a construction worker – were suspected members of “Returning Valiant”, a pro-independence group.
“We believe two of the students, aged 15 and 19, were recruited with monetary rewards to plant bombs in the alleged plot,” the source said. “The third student, the 17-year-old schoolgirl, and the 37-year-old manager are suspected of funding the plot.”
The source said the force believed the construction worker, 28, was responsible for helping the group buy bomb-making materials.
