HK man on way to Macau arrested on bridge island days before Xi visit

The retired businessman, who was traveling by bus on the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, texted his son that he was being arrested on an artificial island manned by mainland police. Xinhua

Mystery surrounds the disappearance of a retired Hong Kong businessman as he traveled across the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge.

There was no word on the whereabouts of the man in his 50s by last night after he texted his son in Hong Kong on Friday to say he was being arrested when heading to Macau by bus.

The disappearance became known on Saturday when the son, Benny, said his father reported being detained on an artificial island manned by mainland police.

That was in line with security being ramped up ahead of President Xi Jinping's visit to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Macau's return to Beijing control on Friday.

Guangdong security officials had announced the setting up of a checkpoint on the artificial island to "create a favorable social environment" for the anniversary celebrations.

The island in the Pearl River Delta is in mainland waters. It does not have a fixed checkpoint, but police set one up there last week with X-ray machines and facial-recognition devices. Immigration officials in Hong Kong confirmed yesterday that they had received a report of a missing man and were following up through the SAR's Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong.

And Hong Kong police confirmed receipt of a report on Saturday.

Officers added that the son provided further information about his father at Tuen Mun Police Station at midnight on Saturday and they were treating the matter as a missing person case. The man was traveling by bus on Friday afternoon when he sent the message "I got arrested," the son told Cable News.

The son, who did not want to be identified, said his father "did not have a specific stance" on the anti-government protests in Hong Kong.

He sometimes visited Macau by bus to meet friends and to gamble and had been there the previous Sunday and Monday.

Democratic Party lawmaker James To Kun-sun said Benny sought his help after he contacted police in Macau. He had been told there was no record of his father arriving there so there was no case for an investigation.

In saying he believed the man was arrested by mainland police, To said he had received a similar report a few days ago. But in that case a Hong Kong citizen had been detained at the checkpoint for eight to 10 hours then sent back to Hong Kong.

To said if anyone was "refused entry to Macau, the person should be repatriated" - but not through the checkpoint.

The Security Bureau noted there is a mechanism for mainland and Hong Kong authorities to notify each other in cases involving criminal prosecutions and unnatural deaths.

It added that Hong Kong authorities would not interfere in the enforcement action by other jurisdictions.

The Macau celebrations come as Hong Kong has seen more than six months of huge and often violent pro-democracy protests.

And the 2015 disappearance into mainland custody of five Hong Kong booksellers continues to rankle.

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