Six local employers and 79 suspected illegal workers have been arrested in a two-day Hong Kong-wide operation. Eleven suspected forged second generation Hong Kong identity cards and one forged smart identity card were seized.

Immigration officers raided 39 locations today, including commercial establishments, residential premises and a factory.

Fifty-two men and 27 women, aged 27 to 46, were arrested for breaching conditions of stay. Apart from one male Pakistani visitor, the rest were Mainlanders, mostly from Guangdong.

Four local men and two local women, aged 43 to 46, were arrested on suspicion of employing illegal workers or aiding and abetting others to breach their conditions of stay.

Employers are reminded to inspect their employees' proof of identity before entering into a contract of employment. Employers should take all practical steps to determine whether the potential employees are lawfully employable.