Mark Simon from Next Media reports Jimmy Lai being arrested, yet again, this time apparently on suspicion of violating the national security law
TVB also now reporting the arrest has taken place, apparently on suspicion of a national security law violation and also a fraud offence news.tvb.com/instant/5f308a…
Lai’s newspaper, Apple Daily, is reporting that police are also at the home of Jimmy Lai’s younger son, Lai Yiu-yan hk.appledaily.com/breaking/20200…
Oriental Daily is reporting that both sons have been arrested, along with other senior executives at Lai’s company hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/new…
Oriental also reports that an arrest warrant has been issued for @HKMarkSimon, who is outside Hong Kong at the moment.
Confirmation from @hkpoliceforce that seven men, aged between 39 to 72, have been arrested, on suspicion of colluding with foreign or external elements to endanger national security, as well as conspiracy to commit fraud
Police do not rule out more arrests
Large number of police officers at Next Digital headquarters in Tseung Kwan O. According to @HKMarkSimon, they have a warrant to search the second floor where the newsroom is.
Police say they are executing a search warrant in connection with national security offences, and they have already displayed the warrant and explained its contents to staff inside the building.
Livestreams suggest that requests to clarify the scope of the warrant were ignored.
Jimmy Lai, who was arrested at home about three hours ago, is now being led through his company's office by scores of police officers.
Editor from @inmediahk describes how media outside were told that only reporters who won’t obstruct police from working can go in.
Some left outside weren’t allowed to stay for the presser, since only larger media “who cooperated with police operations in the past” were invited.
Next Media Trade Union said law enforcement officers searching a newspaper office is "an extremely rare and serious incident in Hong Kong history."
Police have now confirmed the widely reported number of 200 officers being involved in the search operation facebook.com/nextunion/post…
The union also rejected the police's explanation that they inspected newsgathering materials during a "preliminary search" in order to identify which items were outside the scope of the warrant, since every department in Apple Daily's office is clearly marked already.
The operation is still ongoing. Police have made two further arrests as of this afternoon.
The two additional arrests are reported to be Andy Li, known for helping to organise the international observers for Hong King’s District Council elections last year, and Wilson Li, formerly of Scholarism who’s recently been freelancing for ITV
Reports suggest that these two arrests are unrelated to the Apple Daily operation, although the suspected offence is the same: colluding with foreign or external elements to endanger national security.
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