Chapter 5
Arrest operation
Operation on crime scene
Once an arrest decision was made, the ICAC made swift action to work out the deployment plans. The first task was to contact the engineering company with which the foreman and the two complainants were working.
With the full assistance from the engineering company, the ICAC obtained details concerning the work locations and attendance sheets of the foreman. Operation was finally carried out to arrest the foreman at the construction site by the end of the working day on 7 September 2016.
The operation team consisting of two ICAC investigating officers and a Judiciary-registered interpreter had been waiting near the construction site until the subject appeared. They instantly stepped forward to announce the purpose of their presence and then put the subject under arrest.
The investigating officer in-charge considered that the engineering company’s assistance was instrumental in the success of the arrest operation.
“Many small companies tend to be evasive for not wanting to meddle in the ICAC’s matters, fearing that they will get into trouble or provoke retaliation,” said the investigating officer. “It is very important to work out a comprehensive plan well in advance of the arrest operation. Take this case as an example, it was only with the assistance of the engineering company that we could get to know the whereabouts of the foreman. Such information was very useful for planning our arrest operation (such as examining the surroundings and making manpower allocation) and deciding the best time and location for the arrest.”
“The success of the arrest operation hinged very much on the cooperation of the engineering company. We hope that this case can create an exemplary effect to encourage more companies to cooperate with the ICAC in its future arrest operation.”
Making arrest and resisting arrest!
At about 4:30 pm on 7 September 2016, two ICAC investigating officers, together with a Judiciary-registered interpreter, arrested the foreman at the construction site and told him the reason for his arrest and his right to silence. The foreman remained calm when he was put under arrest.
At the time of the arrest, the foreman had just got off work and was still in his working uniform. He then requested to change his clothes in a van used for the ICAC operation before heading towards the ICAC headquarters to assist in the investigation. After an assessment of the situation, the two officers found his request a reasonable one and agreed to it. They were waiting outside the van while he changed his clothes. However, when he stepped out of the van after he had changed his clothes, he just ran off!
A five-minute chase between the two ICAC officers and the foreman then took place on a busy road with traffic. There were dangerous moments when the defendant fled across a five-lane road to escape from the arrest, with the two investigating officers closely tailing behind.
While the officers were chasing around, the foreman suddenly dashed into a vacant taxi, trying to get away from the chase. In the blink of an eye, one of the officers threw himself onto the bonnet of the taxi, causing the taxi to come to an abrupt halt and stopped the defendant from fleeing.
After his fugitive attempt failed, the foreman got out of the taxi and ran as fast as he could. It started another round of frantic chase. When coming somewhere near a police station, the officers eventually managed to catch him. The commotion outside the police station had caught the attention of its duty officers who subsequently learned about the ICAC operation and let the officers perform their duties.
When one of the ICAC officers was about to further subdue the defendant, the latter instantly fought back and resisted arrest, causing injuries to the officer’s arm. An additional charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm was thus filed against the defendant.
Following the crazy chase, the ICAC finally succeeded in bringing the defendant to the ICAC headquarters for an interview.
“The scenes in the ICAC Investigators TV drama series are all real!” One of the investigating officers involved in the pursuit said with a grin. “It was really a thrilling chase! Seeing the chase across a busy five-lane road with heavy traffic flow, bystanders might think it was a movie scene!” Recalling the incident, the investigating officer still felt excited, saying that he only thought of catching the defendant for there might not be another chance if it was missed.
“Suspects handled by ICAC investigating officers are usually white-collar employees or criminals in commercial crime cases. Officers rarely encounter resistance or get hurt when making arrests.” the investigating officer explained.
The suspect’s struggle had made the investigating officer suffer from arm injuries. “My only thought at that moment was to subdue him and arrest him. I didn’t feel any pain at all.”
As law enforcement officers, Operations Department officers need to be physically fit to perform their duties. The designated physical fitness test in the recruitment exercise includes a 15-meter progressive aerobic cardiorespiratory endurance run, a handgrip strength test, one-minute push-ups and one-minute sit-ups.
Newly recruits have to receive a full-day training in unarmed combat, use of handcuffs and extendable batons, etc. conducted by the Training School of the Operations Department twice a year to ensure that they maintain physical fitness and possess the required skills.
ICAC officers are seldom seen opening fire when conducting duties. Does it mean that officers of the Operations Department are not armed with guns at all? In fact, some ICAC investigating officers can use firearms. The Witness Protection and Firearms Section (commonly known as the “Firearms Team”) set up in April 1998 with about 50 members is the only team in the ICAC that can control and use firearms.
ICAC officers joining the “Firearms Team” have to first undergo rigorous training and meet strict selection criteria, including getting a pass in a psychology assessment, receiving training in the firearms camp and another one-year training in shooting, blasting and other skills. Such strict requirements are introduced because of the high risks involved in the firearms duties, such as arresting suspects with heavy weapons, forcibly entering premises for searches, escorting suspects, ensuring the safety of witnesses.
Why are the guns used by the “Firearms Team” known as “kind-hearted guns”? As there are slim chances for the ICAC to tackle violent criminals, coupled with the meticulously planned deployment prior to each arrest and search operation, as well as the witness protection provided under a comprehensive scheme, therefore not a single shot has ever been fired in the ICAC’s operations since its establishment.