One of the 12 illegal border-crossers arrested by China on Aug 23 appeared to be Andy Li, a defendant arrested under the national security law: @RFA_Chinese. Mr Li was arrested the same day media mogul Jimmy Lai @JimmyLaiApple was arrested. He is now detained by Guangdong police.
Radio Free Asia continues that Andy Li, together with the 11 passengers, went aboard on the Kwo Chau Islands in Hong Kong. Meanwhile, other sources reveal that their destination was the Kinmen Islands, a Taiwanese enclave opposite to the Chinese Fujian province.
However, their boat was stopped as they were en route to Kinmen. It is suspected that Andy Li would want to leave Hong Kong before he had to report to the police on Sept 1, because he would not be granted a court bail if the police took him to the court directly that day.
Correction: Radio Free Asia says that the 12 passengers were caught by the Guangdong coast guard near the Kwo Chau Islands. My sources reveal that they went aboard in Sai Kung, Hong Kong's easternmost district, and intended to head to Kinmen by motor boat.
Hong Kong police commissioner, Chris Tang, responds that the police force aware of the report.
"For the time being, we do not have any information from the mainland relevant authorities," Mr Tang adds. "I'm not in a position to comment."
Mr Tang remarks that the arrest made by the Guangdong water police on August 23 was not a cross-border operation. He adds that Hongkongers are subject to the laws of the country they are in when they are overseas and that the mainland authorities only have to inform Hong Kong.
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