Five illegal Vietnamese immigrants and two people smugglers from mainland China were arrested on Tuesday morning after the Hong Kong Marine Police intercepted a suspicious speedboat near an uninhabited island in Sai Kung East Country Park.
A Marine Police vessel spotted the speedboat at around 10.30am as it was heading to Pak Lap near Conic Island, which is a few hundred metres east of Tsang Pang Kok, Long Ke Wan. Officers chased the speedboat after it refused a request to halt, Wen Wei Po reported.
The mainland Chinese pair jumped into the sea to escape, but they were caught. The pair were arrested for entering the city illegally, aiding and abetting others to illegally migrate and endangering the safety of others at sea and failing to stop after a police request.
An officer had to jump into the pilotless speedboat to stop it after it traveled 200 meters, Sing Pao reported.
A man, three women and a one-year-old, all from Vietnam, were arrested for unlawful entry. The woman and the infant were sent to Tseung Kwan O Hospital for a medical check-up.