HONG KONG - Hong Kong police arrested Thursday five men and two women for allegedly assisting a man charged with stabbing a policeman during the July 1 protest.

Police said in a press briefing that the seven suspects aged between 24 and 71 could go to jail for 10 years for "assisting" Wong Kwan-wa, a 24-year-old civil engineer, who was arrested at Hong Kong International Airport on July 2 on suspicion of stabbing and wounding an officer. 

The seven, including Wong’s girlfriend, are currently in police custody

The seven, including Wong’s girlfriend, are currently in police custody. 

READ MORE: Suspect charged with stabbing police officer during illegal protest

The suspects are believed to have bought Wong an air ticket to the UK, said Senior superintendent Yau Kin-hung of Hong Kong Police Commercial Crime Bureau.

"We do not rule out the possibility that more people will be arrested afterwards," Yau said.

The suspects are also believed to have driven Wong to the airport in a private car and to have supplied information to Wong to evade police arrest, Yau said. 

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Following the incident, Hong Kong police had posted images on social media of an officer with a bleeding arm saying he was stabbed by "rioters holding sharp objects".

With inputs from agencies