'Surge in fraud cases but overall situation stable'
Police Commissioner Raymond Siu said on Tuesday that more than 90,000 crimes were recorded in Hong Kong last year, a rise of almost 30 percent from 2022. Siu said the increase was mostly due to a surge in fraud, with almost 40,000 cases, as well as society's return to normal following the pandemic. The police chief added the situation in Hong Kong in general remained stable because figures for many other types of offences fell. He said the police solved 31.1 percent of all crimes, a record high. Some 9,000 people were arrested over deception cases, a rise of almost 75 percent on the previous year. Most of those arrested were suspected of allowing their bank accounts to be used for money laundering, Siu said. The police chief said the force is working hard to make people pay attention to the methods fraudsters use, so they can avoid falling prey to scams.  He added that as of the end of last year, 290 people had been arrested under the national security law that came into effect in 2020, and 60 percent of them have been prosecuted.  He said maintaining national security remains a top priority for the force, and officers will guard against anti-China forces using online platforms to publish messages of incitement. Meanwhile, the force said it has officially put former activist Agnes Chow on its wanted list and that she will be pursued for life if necessary. Chow, a co-founder of the now-defunct Demosisto party, announced in December that she would not return from a stay in Canada to comply with bail conditions in Hong Kong.