Hong Kong police and immigration officers dismantled over 100 suspected vice units in a sweeping raid in Tsim Sha Tsui on Thursday, arresting 128 people—including a 15‑year‑old and transgender individuals—during a coordinated operation targeting prostitution in an older residential building.
Officers from the Yau Tsim District Special Duty Squad, backed by nearly 100 personnel and the Immigration Department, launched Operation “FIRESTORM” at James S. Lee Mansion on Carnarvon Road after intelligence‑led investigations. Acting undercover, they arrested 27 men and 101 women aged 15 to 44 on suspicion of breaching conditions of stay. The group included minors and transgender people of various nationalities, such as mainland Chinese, Kazakh, Russian, Laotian, Thai, and Vietnamese nationals, according to police.
At the scene, some of the arrested women, many dressed in short skirts, were seen boarding police vehicles with belongings and suitcases, some covering their faces with clothing as uniformed and plainclothes officers, along with Immigration Department staff, cordoned off the area, drawing crowds of onlookers. Police sources told reporters that sexual services inside the building were allegedly priced between several hundred to over a thousand Hong Kong dollars, with investigations ongoing into whether the operation was run by organized criminal syndicates.
Authorities said suspected syndicates often rent units in older buildings for vice activities because of weaker security and more flexible lease terms. Under the Summary Offences Ordinance, soliciting for immoral purposes in a public place, or loitering for such purposes, carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a fine of HK$10,000 upon conviction. The Crimes Ordinance further provides that any landlord, tenant, occupier, or person in charge of premises who knowingly allows the premises to be used for prostitution commits an offence punishable by up to seven years’ imprisonment.
All 128 suspects remain in police custody pending further investigation and possible charges. Police said they would continue to step up inspections and operations in suspected vice‑related premises across the city.
