This screengrab taken from a livestreamed video on the Hong Kong Police Force's official Facebook page shows fake personal doucments and SIM cards during a press conference about the arrest of 14 members of a cross-border syndicate producing counterfeit personal documents.

Hong Kong and Shenzhen police jointly arrested 14 members of a cross-border syndicate producing fake personal documents in a three-day operation. The Chinese mainland police also raided a Shenzhen factory operated by the syndicate.

The fake documents, which were sold online, include registered SIM cards of uncertain origin, as well as counterfeit Hong Kong identity cards, mainland identity cards, Hong Kong bank cards, and utility bills. They were put on the market after the implementation of real-name registration requirement for phone cards in Hong Kong and caught the attention of the police.

The Hong Kong police arrested 10 males aged between 15 and 50 on charges including "forgery of documents”, "conspiracy to forge documents”," and "fraud”. In parallel, the mainland police arrested three males and one female in Shenzhen and Hunan, respectively.

It was discovered that the counterfeit documents were manufactured in the Chinese mainland and then brought back to Hong Kong by the mastermind of the criminal syndicate, who employed Hong Kong triad members to distribute them to buyers

A Hong Kong police spokesperson said that the forged documents involved the theft of personal information of residents and the fabrication of false credentials related to mainland law enforcement agencies.

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Both the Hong Kong and mainland police initiated a comprehensive investigation to track down the source of the forgeries.

It was discovered that the counterfeit documents were manufactured in the Chinese mainland and then brought back to Hong Kong by the mastermind of the criminal syndicate, who employed Hong Kong triad members to distribute them to buyers.

The spokesperson also revealed that the criminal syndicate periodically advertised their services online enticing potential customers with packages of the counterfeit documents.

This strategy aimed to attract individuals who planned to engage in fraudulent activities or money laundering, the spokesperson said.

Between July and September, the police identified the mastermind of the syndicate as a Hong Kong resident working for a telecommunications service company in Shenzhen.

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This forger would draft counterfeit documents for buyers with ill intentions, using information stolen from other people. He is also suspected of exploiting his position in the telecommunications company to steal customer data.