Hong Kong police launch first known joint operation with Beijing's national security office
Hong Kong police have coordinated with Beijing's national security office to search the residences of six people suspected of foreign collusion, the first known joint operation between the two entities.
The police force said in a statement on Thursday evening that China's Office for Safeguarding National Security (OSNS) requested assistance from the police's National Security Department (NSD) to investigate six people suspected of colluding with 'a foreign country or with external elements' to endanger national security from November 2020 to June 2024.
According to the police statement, the NSD obtained court warrants and searched the homes of the six people, as well as the office of a related organisation in Kwai Chung, on Thursday.
Police officers 'seized exhibits, including bank documents, devices, etc., for further investigation,' it added.
They also questioned the six individuals and required them to surrender their travel documents.
The police statement did not identify the six suspects or the organisation.
The OSNS is an apparatus of the Chinese central government and is independent of the Hong Kong government. It was established in July 2020, shortly after Beijing imposed a national security law following the 2019 pro-democracy protests and unrest.
Last month, Hong Kong declared six locations of the OSNS as 'prohibited places,' including four hotels and the office's future permanent sites in Tai Kok Tsui that are under construction.
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