Hong Kong immigration officers arrest 2 food delivery couriers suspected of selling or lending accounts on platform to illegal workers
- Illegal workers used accounts on platform to carry out food deliveries, according to a deputy commander at the Immigration Department
- Payments split between illegal workers and account holders, but some workers also received whole amount, he adds
Hong Kong immigration officers have arrested two food couriers suspected of selling or lending their accounts registered with a delivery platform to illegal workers.
The two men were picked up in Kwai Chung and Tin Shui Wai on Friday morning and detained on suspicion of aiding and abetting those who were not allowed to take employment in the city.
In Hong Kong, the maximum punishment under the Immigration Ordinance for the offence is three years in jail and a HK$50,000 (US$6,369) fine.
“We suspected two men set up their accounts with a food delivery platform [to work as couriers] and then sold or lent their accounts to those who cannot be lawfully employed in Hong Kong,” Ng Chi-long, a deputy commander of the Immigration Department’s task force, said.
He added that the illegal workers involved then used the accounts to make deliveries for food orders received in the platform.
Ng said couriers were paid an average of between HK$20 and HK$25 for each delivery.
“The investigation indicated that in some cases, the delivery fees were split between illegal workers and the account holders, but some of the workers also received the whole payment,” he said.