HONG KONG: Marine police intercepted a sampan yesterday, transporting 13 Pakistani illegal immigrants in Hong Kong waters early Friday morning. The arrest came barely a day after another interception on Thursday. The coxswain, arrested along with the illegal immigrants, claimed he was only 16.

Police have recorded a surge in the number of non-Chinese illegal immigrants following a High Court ruling in March that asylum seekers must be permitted to work.

"The current case provided further evidence that the smuggling syndicates are exploiting the situation by making significant illegal profits whilst putting the lives of the illegal immigrants in danger," said Superintendent John Cameron, head of the marine police's small boat division.

"That includes the seemingly desperate measure of employing a 16-year-old boy to coxswain," he added.

According to Yip Kwong-choi, a senior inspector of marine police, the sampan was found rowing without a light in Hau Hoi Wan at about 2 am Friday morning.

After it was intercepted by marine police speedboats, 13 illegal immigrants were found hiding in compartments under the deck.

The men claimed to be Pakistanis seeking asylum in Hong Kong. Nine had passports, three had copies of passports and one had no papers.

The coxswain, who didn't carry any identity papers, said he is from Henan province and aged 16.

Cameron said police are liaising with mainland authorities to verify the information.

The 14 all are in custody. The coxswain also faces prosecution for endangering the lives of others in addition to aiding and abetting illegal immigration, Cameron added.

Yip said that in all illegal immigration cases he has dealt with, it's the first time he has encountered a 16-year-old coxswain.

The fact that the teenager steered the 10m by 1.5m sampan through the dark in high seas, with 14 people and no safety equipment aboard, provides grounds for a charge of endangering people's lives, said Yip.

Cameron said marine police have increased patrols, according to the pattern, routine and modus operandi of recent cases.

In Thursday morning, eight stowaways from Pakistan and Africa were arrested in waters off Tuen Mun. They also were hiding in compartments of a sampan.

The marine police want to send a strong message to would-be mainland snakeheads (smugglers), Cameron said.

"Our full operation focus is against such activities. We're waiting for you. And once you're caught, you will be prosecuted with the full weight of Hong Kong law," he added.

The marine police have already arrested 1,064 non-Chinese illegal immigrants this year.

Most of them were from South Asia and Africa and sneaked into the Chinese mainland before being smuggled into Hong Kong. The figure contrasts with last year's total of 964.

The increased number had much to do with the High Court's ruling of March 2. It came in a judicial review of a case filed by 29 Pakistani asylum seekers who were found working in a market and were prosecuted. The judge in the case ruled against the Justice Department.

Immigration syndicates lost no time spreading the news that asylum seekers now are able to work in Hong Kong lawfully.

The government is moving to plug the loophole through an amendment in the Legislative Council next month.

China Daily

(HK Edition 10/10/2009 page1)