Latest news with #illegalservices
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- South China Morning Post
3 Hongkongers, 2 mainland Chinese arrested over ride-hailing fraud syndicate ties
Hong Kong police have arrested two visitors from mainland China and three residents on suspicion of being part of a syndicate that recruits drivers to provide illegal ride-hailing services in the city by using tourist visas and fake identity cards. The force said on Saturday that it arrested three residents in the past two days in Tuen Mun and Lok Ma Chau for allegedly conspiring to defraud, laundering money and aiding and abetting others to breach their conditions of stay. Police said the case was the second to involve a ride-hailing syndicate in a crackdown in the past week. The trio comprised two men and one woman aged between 41 and 65. Two men from the mainland working as drivers were also arrested in Tai Po and West Kowloon and charged with alleged illegal carriage of passengers for reward, driving without third-party insurance and violating their conditions of stay. Superintendent Basil Tang Yick-kay from the crime division of the northern New Territories said officers had been investigating syndicates that recruited mainland drivers to work in Hong Kong since the middle of the year.
Independent Singapore
7 days ago
- Independent Singapore
2 SG-registered cars nabbed for reportedly offering illegal ride-hailing services at JB's Legoland
SINGAPORE: According to an Aug 9 (Saturday) report in the Malaysian daily China Press, the drivers of two vehicles registered in Singapore were apprehended in Johor Bahru after they allegedly offered illegal ride-hailing services at Legoland. This occurred around 12:00 noon that day. Photos of officials rounding up the errant drivers were posted on the Facebook group page 柔新关卡 Both Checkpoint 分享站 shortly after the incident, but the post has since been taken down. The pictures, taken outside Legoland, showed cars from Johor's Road Transport Department. 'You catch me, I catch you, we hurt each other and see who will hurt the most: Singapore dollar or Malaysian ringgit car price,' the post's caption read. One of the multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) whose drivers allegedly offered illegal transport services, a black Toyota Alphard, was shown to have a license plate from Singapore. China Press quoted a man it identified as Mr Chen as saying two vehicles registered in Singapore were going to bring individuals back from Legoland to Singapore when the Malaysian enforcement officers arrived on the scene, and the drivers were apprehended. The report added that there have been complaints to the authorities from the public regarding the provision of such offers of illegal transport. When China Press went to Legoland the following day, no large group of Singapore-registered vehicles was seen waiting, although there were some vehicles that had private-hire stickers issued by Singapore's Land Transport Authority (LTA). A Legoland hotel staff member said that he saw JPJ officers briefly in the morning. On its part, the LTA has also stepped up efforts to apprehend drivers who provide illegal point-to-point services. In June, in a joint enforcement operation with the Singapore Tourism Board, it announced that eight such drivers had been caught. These drivers had been ferrying passengers to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum in Chinatown, as well as to Gardens by the Bay at Marina Gardens Drive. Their foreign-registered vehicles have been impounded. Upon inspection, the drivers were cleared of providing unlicensed tourist guiding activities, the authority added at the time. 'LTA will continue to act against drivers who provide illegal point-to-point services using vehicles without public service vehicle licences. Offenders face a fine of up to $3,000 and/or six months' jail. Their vehicles may also be forfeited,' wrote LTA. The authority also warned the public against using illegal point-to-point services, because as these vehicles do not have proper licensing and insurance, they pose serious risks to the people who ride in them, particularly if an accident takes place. /TISG Read also: Young driver of SG-registered Maserati attacked with helmets after he made illegal U-turn on Second Link, killing motorcyclist
CNA
06-08-2025
- CNA
19 vehicles impounded for providing illegal cross-border transport services
Licensed cross-border taxi drivers are calling on authorities to clamp down on illegal services, which they say are taking away their customers. Authorities say they are addressing these illegal services. They held a first-of-its-kind joint operation at a land checkpoint and impounded 19 vehicles.
South China Morning Post
06-08-2025
- South China Morning Post
Man jailed for 2 months in Hong Kong ride-hailing case, banned from driving for a year
A mainland Chinese visitor has been jailed for two months and disqualified from driving in Hong Kong for a year after he was found to have offered ride-hailing services without the required permit. Ye Hai, 41, on Wednesday admitted to offering paid rides using the online mapping service Amap on July 7, three days after he entered Hong Kong on a two-way permit. He pleaded guilty at Kowloon City Court to breaching his condition of stay, driving a motor vehicle for the carriage of passengers for hire or reward, and using a vehicle without third party insurance. The court heard Ye was arrested during a sting operation by police that targeted illegal hire-car services. Using a beige Toyota Prius he borrowed from his friend, Ye took an undercover officer from a private housing complex in Yau Ma Tei to a location in Sham Shui Po, before two other constables intercepted him at a nearby junction. The defence said Ye committed the offences out of his ignorance of the laws of Hong Kong.
Independent Singapore
18-06-2025
- Independent Singapore
8 drivers caught for providing illegal point-to-point services; vehicles impounded
SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a social media post on Tuesday (June 17) that it had caught eight drivers who had provided illegal point-to-point services in a joint enforcement operation with the Singapore Tourism Board last week. These drivers had been ferrying passengers to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum in Chinatown, as well as to Gardens by the Bay at Marina Gardens Drive. Their foreign-registered vehicles have been impounded. Upon inspection, the drivers were cleared of providing unlicensed tourist guiding activities, the authority added. @ltasg 👮 In a joint enforcement operation with the Singapore Tourism Board last week, we caught 8 drivers and impounded their foreign-registered vehicles for providing illegal point-to-point services to the Buddha Tooth Relic Temple and Museum, as well as Gardens by the Bay. These drivers were also inspected and found to be clear of providing any unlicensed tourist guiding activities. 🚨 LTA will continue to act against drivers who provide illegal point-to-point services using vehicles without public service vehicle licences. Offenders face a fine of up to $3,000 and/or six months jail. Their vehicles may also be forfeited. ⚠️ #Reminder Avoid using illegal point-to-point services. Without proper licencing and insurance, they pose serious risks to passengers, especially when accidents occur. ♬ original sound – Land Transport Authority – Land Transport Authority 'LTA will continue to act against drivers who provide illegal point-to-point services using vehicles without public service vehicle licences. Offenders face a fine of up to $3,000 and/or six months' jail. Their vehicles may also be forfeited,' wrote LTA. The authority also warned the public against using illegal point-to-point services, because as these vehicles do not have proper licensing and insurance, they pose serious risks to the people who ride in them, particularly if an accident takes place. According to a report in CNA , this is the first time the LTA and STB have conducted this type of operation together. LTA also told CNA that there have been 68 drivers using foreign-registered vehicles who've been caught unlawfully providing passenger transport services across borders. The authority underlined that private cars or private hire car services registered in Malaysia are not allowed to offer cross-border or ride-hail services in Singapore. In February 2024, LTA announced that it had nabbed four drivers who provided illegal cross-border chauffeured services between Singapore and Malaysia . It added in a Facebook post at the time that this type of offence is taken 'very seriously.' LTA further urged the public to refrain from availing of these services. The authority also warned at the time that the vehicle used in providing these services could be forfeited. Even booking these cross-border ride-hailing services, some done via social media or messaging apps including Facebook and Telegram, is against the law, a spokesman for LTA added. Then-Transport Minister Chee Hong Tat praised LTA enforcement officers for their 'vigilant efforts' in catching the errant and illegal drivers. 'Foreign drivers and foreign-registered vehicles need a valid licence before they are allowed to provide cross-border services. This is to protect passengers as drivers using these licensed vehicles are required to have valid insurance coverage for passengers, compared to illegal services,' he wrote in a Facebook post on February 21, 2024. He also served up a stern warning to drivers who may be considering offering this type of illegal service, writing, 'Let me say this: think carefully before breaking the rules, as you never know if your next 'customer' is actually an undercover LTA officer.' /TISG Read also: Young driver of SG-registered Maserati attacked with helmets after he made illegal U-turn on Second Link, killing motorcyclist
