Ex-airline ground crew member absconded 15 years ago charged by ICAC for accepting bribes from human smuggling syndicate
2025-7-22
A former airline ground crew member absconded over 15 years ago and wanted by the ICAC was arrested and brought to the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts for mention today (July 22) for his alleged corrupt involvement in human smuggling. The case cracked in 2009 had led to the prosecution of two other former airline ground crew members and two members of a human smuggling syndicate who assisted in smuggling travellers to other countries via the Hong Kong International Airport.
Tsui Ying-kit, 44, former customer services officer of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (Cathay Pacific), was arrested by the ICAC in August 2009 for his alleged involvement in a human smuggling bribery scam. A warrant for his arrest was subsequently issued by the magistrates’ courts after he failed to report bail. Upon returning to Hong Kong yesterday (July 21), he was charged with four counts of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantages, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
The defendant was brought to the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts for mention today and no plea was taken. Magistrate Mr Edward Wong Ching-yu adjourned the case to September 30 for mention and remanded the defendant in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
When the offences took place between September 2008 and August 2009, the defendant was a customer services officer of Cathay Pacific who was tasked to carry out check-in procedures for passengers at the Hong Kong International Airport.
The charges allege that Tsui had conspired with members of the human smuggling syndicate and two other ground crew members of Cathay Pacific to accept bribes as a reward for Tsui and the two ground crew members to ensure travellers arranged by the syndicate to successfully check in their flights and to inform the syndicate of circumstances concerning the travellers’ boarding of the planes and relevant security information obtained from the computer system of Cathay Pacific.
The ICAC investigation revealed that Tsui and the two ground crew members had allegedly issued boarding passes to the travellers arranged by the human smuggling syndicate. It was alleged that Tsui had accepted a bribe of $1,000 to $2,000 for each traveller.
In May 2010, the ICAC charged two members of the human smuggling syndicate and two former ground crew members of Cathay Pacific. The four defendants, who pleaded guilty to five counts of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantages, were sentenced to jail terms of 14 to 20 months at the District Court in February 2011.
Cathay Pacific rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Edward Wong.
Tsui Ying-kit, 44, former customer services officer of Cathay Pacific Airways Limited (Cathay Pacific), was arrested by the ICAC in August 2009 for his alleged involvement in a human smuggling bribery scam. A warrant for his arrest was subsequently issued by the magistrates’ courts after he failed to report bail. Upon returning to Hong Kong yesterday (July 21), he was charged with four counts of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantages, contrary to section 9(1)(a) of the Prevention of Bribery Ordinance and section 159A of the Crimes Ordinance.
The defendant was brought to the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts for mention today and no plea was taken. Magistrate Mr Edward Wong Ching-yu adjourned the case to September 30 for mention and remanded the defendant in the custody of the Correctional Services Department.
When the offences took place between September 2008 and August 2009, the defendant was a customer services officer of Cathay Pacific who was tasked to carry out check-in procedures for passengers at the Hong Kong International Airport.
The charges allege that Tsui had conspired with members of the human smuggling syndicate and two other ground crew members of Cathay Pacific to accept bribes as a reward for Tsui and the two ground crew members to ensure travellers arranged by the syndicate to successfully check in their flights and to inform the syndicate of circumstances concerning the travellers’ boarding of the planes and relevant security information obtained from the computer system of Cathay Pacific.
The ICAC investigation revealed that Tsui and the two ground crew members had allegedly issued boarding passes to the travellers arranged by the human smuggling syndicate. It was alleged that Tsui had accepted a bribe of $1,000 to $2,000 for each traveller.
In May 2010, the ICAC charged two members of the human smuggling syndicate and two former ground crew members of Cathay Pacific. The four defendants, who pleaded guilty to five counts of conspiracy for an agent to accept advantages, were sentenced to jail terms of 14 to 20 months at the District Court in February 2011.
Cathay Pacific rendered full assistance to the ICAC during its investigation into the case.
The prosecution was today represented by ICAC officer Edward Wong.