Mainland confirms arrest of HK man on mega bridge

Guangdong authorities say they found a crime suspect during a routine security inspection on buses using the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge. File photo: RTHK

Altis Wong reports

Security officials in Guangdong have confirmed they detained a Hong Kong resident at a checkpoint set up on the bridge to Macau and Zhuhai, three days after a man was reported missing by his son.



Writing on its Weibo blog, the Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department said that officers found a 53-year-old crime suspect on Friday, during a routine security inspection on buses using the bridge.



It said the man is believed to be the mastermind of a mobile phone smuggling syndicate, and had been on a wanted person list since 2012. It added that the man is now being dealt with by Zhuhai officials.



Meanwhile, the department said it had also found several other crime suspects during the security checks which began last Tuesday, ahead of President Xi Jinping’s visit to Macau for its 20th handover anniversary.



The statement comes after the son of a missing man told the media that his father was heading to Macau on Friday afternoon, when mainland authorities detained him at the bridge's eastern artificial island.



He said his father lost contact after messaging the family to tell them about his arrest.