Hong Kong Police Wanchai district headquarters, Aug. 21, 2019 (Xinhua/Mao Siqian)

Eight Hong Kong residents jailed in Shenzhen, South China’s Guangdong Province, for illegally crossing the border were released by Shenzhen police and handed over to Hong Kong authorities on Monday after having served seven-month sentences.

Shenzhen police confirmed that these Hongkongers had completed their sentences and been deported. Media reports said former “Hong Kong Story” member Andy Li Yu-hin will later be handled under the national security law for Hong Kong, while the other seven people released stowaways will not. 

At 10:08 am, the first convoy arrived at the Tin Shui Wai Police Station. According to reports, only one stowaway, Andy Li, was on board. At 3:09 pm, the second group of those released arrived, with three of them on board. The third group of three people arrived in Hong Kong at 4:03 pm. The last of the eight arrived at 4:45 pm. 

The cases will be taken over by the National Security Division, the Commercial Crime Bureau, and Regional Crime Divisions, the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) confirmed in a statement sent to the Global Times. 

The eight released stowaways are among the 12 Hong Kong residents who were seized by the Chinese mainland’s marine police and later put under criminal detention for illegally crossing the border and trying to escape the island to “seek political asylum” in August 2020.

Eight of the 12 were later sentenced to seven months in prison. Two detainees who were under 18 were not put on trial and sent back to Hong Kong in December. The other two, Tang Kai-yin and Quinn Moon, were convicted of organizing illegal border crossing, and sentenced to three years and two years respectively. 

Andy Li was immediately transferred to another police station upon arrival for further detention. 

Li is a member of the anti-government group “Hong Kong story.” He was arrested in August 2020 under the national security law and later released on bail. Local media reported that the police have enough evidence on the case of Li's violation of the National Security Law, and will soon be prosecuted. 

Media reports said the other seven released Hongkongers are not involved in violating the national security law and will not be dealt with by the National Security Division of the police.

The Hong Kong police have repeatedly stated that they had nothing to do with the 12 people being arrested by the mainland.

Global Times