Crackdown: Seventeen people were arrested in two joint operations against illegal employment by the Labour Department and Police.

The Labour Department and the Police arrested 17 people in two operations against illegal employment in Yuen Long yesterday.

The Permanent Secretary for Economic Development & Labour Matthew Cheung said: "To protect the employment opportunities of local workers, the Labour Department has put combating illegal employment as one of its main tasks."

The department has adjusted its law-enforcement strategy by strengthening targetted blitz operations apart from conducting territory-wide workplace inspections to deter illegal employment.

"It will also enhance information collection and analysis to identify targets more precisely and make more thorough action planning. It will strengthen information exchanges as well as joint operations with other departments such as the Immigration Department and the Police," he added.

Seven foreign domestic helpers and their six employers were arrested in a raid to Tai Kui Market in the afternoon.

The domestic helpers were found serving customers in the market stalls and a fashion shop.

Another raid was mounted at night to target eateries in downtown Yuen Long. Four more illegal workers were arrested. Two were two-way permit holders and two Chinese overstayers. One was suspected to have used a forged Hong Kong identity card.

In the seven-hour operation, the Labour Department's Labour Inspection Division and New Territories North Police Quick Response Force One sent 17 labour inspectors and 34 police officers to raid 22 market stalls, fashion shops and eateries. They also checked 33 employees' proof of identity.

In the first eight months of this year, the Labour Department conducted 17 joint operations with other enforcement departments, a 113% increase when compared to eight operations in the same period last year.