Six people have been arrested on suspicion of “collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security”, in a joint operation conducted by the Hong Kong Police force and the Office for Safeguarding National Security of the Central People's Government in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.

The case also involves an organization based in the Kwai Chung district.

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According to an official news release late on Thursday, the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force — with warrants issued by the court under Schedule 1 of the Implementation Rules for Article 43 of the National Security Law for Hong Kong — searched the homes of the six suspects and the office of the organization involved, which is located in a commercial building in the Kwai Chung district, and seized items, including bank documents and electronic devices, for further investigation.  

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The individuals are accused of having committed national security offenses between November 2020 and June 2024. The NSD facilitated interviews between the OSNS officers and the suspects as part of the probe.

The authorities stressed that the searches and interrogations were carried out in accordance with the National Security Law for Hong Kong, the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance and the OSNS regulations.

The case remains under investigation, with the NSD pledging continued legal support to the OSNS.

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Speaking at a national security exhibition on Thursday, Secretary for Security Chris Tang Ping-keung said that 326 individuals have been arrested for national security endangering acts under relevant regulations, including the National Security Law for Hong Kong, which was introduced on June 30, 2020. Of them, 165 were convicted — including 76 under the NSL and six under the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.

Tang likened the relationship between development and security to “the two wheels of a cart or the two wings of a bird”, emphasizing that both are indispensable.

He noted that before the law’s introduction, Hong Kong had long lacked robust national security defenses, leaving it vulnerable to exploitation by external forces.

Despite significant progress, Tang warned that sustained efforts are needed to eliminate national security risks.

Contact the writer at lilei@chinadailyhk.com