3 mainland Chinese photographers arrested for allegedly working illegally in Hong Kong

“Employing individuals who are not legally authorised to work is a serious offence, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a HK$500,000 fine,” he warned.

The undercover operation was carried out after immigration officers noticed that mainland photographers were advertising cheap wedding and street photography services in the city on popular social media platforms to attract local customers.

“A preliminary investigation shows they charged between HK$1,000 (US$128) and HK$1,500 per assignment,” Leung said.

After gathering intelligence and identifying the suspects, he said immigration officers impersonated customers and booked pre-wedding and street photography services through social media platforms with a deposit payment.

Immigration officers seized their mobile phones and equipment during the arrest operation.

The trio, aged 25 to 30, were detained on suspicion of working illegally in the city – an offence punishable by up to two years in jail and a HK$50,000 fine.

Leung said initial investigations suggested the suspects did not know each other, adding that immigration officers were looking into whether they had come to the city and provided such services previously.

He stressed that the department would continue to carry out cyber patrols to monitor such illegal activities and mount similar operations to protect the interests of city workers.