In Hong Kong, police have cracked down on gambling operations across the region. [Image: Shutterstock.com]

Hong Kong police are cracking down on illegal gambling, ID forgery, and gangs in the region, making a total of 511 arrests in the process.

According to a Sunday press release shared by the South China Morning Post, the arrests came over the course of several days of raids. It began on Thursday night when police raided an ID forgery business in Mong Kok. They seized four fake ID cards, 36 partly fake ID cards, and two “green cards.” The latter are required for employment in the area. Two arrests came in this instance.

offenses ranged from money laundering to possession of prohibited weapons

Then, between Thursday and Saturday, police made 423 more arrests. The offenses ranged from money laundering to possession of prohibited weapons and conspiracy to defraud. Of the alleged offenders, 248 were men and 175 women, 373 of which were Chinese.

At the same time, the force shut down three illegal gambling dens operated by triads. On Sunday, Hong Kong police arrested a 90-year-old and eight other elderly people in a raid on a flat in Tsuen Wan which was being used for mahjong gambling. It is unclear if these arrests were linked to those mentioned in the press conference.

A total of 86 more arrests came in operations linked to a dispute between two criminal gangs. Four of those arrested were leaders of the syndicates, suspected of conspiracy to traffic dangerous drugs. During these raids, police uncovered premises used for illegal gambling and storage of goods worth HK$1.2m (US$153,918).