香港警方在一项为期六个月的卧底行动中，拘捕了127人，打击一个由越南人主导的犯罪集团，该集团被指控经营放高利贷敲诈勒索，年利率高达3700%，并在西九龙经营非法赌博和无牌酒吧。
Hong Kong police have arrested 127 people in a six-month undercover operation against a Vietnamese-led crime syndicate accused of running loan-sharking rackets charging interest rates of up to 3,700 per cent, as well as illegal gambling and unlicensed bars in West Kowloon.
该集团还涉嫌协助非法入境者寻找住所和工作，警方于10月8日和9日突击搜查了八处场所。
The syndicate is also alleged to have helped illegal immigrants find shelter and work, with police raiding eight premises on October 8 and 9.
被捕者包括10名涉嫌核心成员，其中包括一名持有香港身份证的越南女子，疑为集团首脑。
Among those arrested were 10 alleged core members, including the suspected leader, a Vietnamese woman holding a Hong Kong identity card.
“该集团运作非常封闭，只在同胞中招募成员，”有组织罪案及三合会调查科高级警司赵子轩周六表示。警方表示，相信该集团已运作至少一年。
“The group’s operations were very closed, recruiting only among its compatriots,” Superintendent Chiew Tsi-huen of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau said on Saturday. Police said they believed the syndicate had operated for at least a year.
同属该科的高级督察潘嘉文表示，该集团以杂货店和一个越南居民协会作为掩护。
Senior Inspector Christopher Pumar, also of the bureau, said the group used grocery shops and an association for Vietnamese residents as fronts.
涉嫌为非法入境者提供临时住宿及伪造的香港身份证或建造业工人注册证，每份文件收费2000至2500港元，协助他们寻找工作。警方表示，该集团大多数核心成员为持有认可书的越南籍人士。
It allegedly provided illegal immigrants with temporary accommodation and counterfeit Hong Kong identity cards or construction worker cards, charging HK$2,000 to HK$2,500 per document to help them find work. Police said most of the syndicate’s core members were Vietnamese nationals holding recognisance forms.
该集团还涉嫌经营多间非法赌场，提供百家乐和越南纸牌赌博，以及两间无牌酒吧，供应廉价酒类和毒品。
The group also allegedly ran several illegal gambling venues offering baccarat and Vietnamese card games, as well as two unlicensed bars that offered cheap alcohol and drugs.
警方表示，其主要收入来自放贷，每借1万港元，每天收取100港元利息。若按复利计算，实际年利率可达3700%，远超法定上限48%。
Its main income came from loans charged at HK$100 a day for every HK$10,000 borrowed. With interest compounded, the effective annual rate could reach 3,700 per cent – far above the legal maximum of 48 per cent – police said.
该集团涉嫌诱使借贷人参与非法互助会，每会20名会员，每10天缴付5000港元，组成10万港元奖金池。
The syndicate allegedly also drew borrowers into illegal rotating credit schemes, with each scheme comprising 20 members who paid HK$5,000 every 10 days into a HK$100,000 pool.
疑似首脑决定每期中标人选，而会员则面临隐性收费及不明朗的资金分配。
The suspected leader decided who received each payout, while members faced hidden fees and an unclear distribution of funds.
债务人无法偿还债务时，据称受到威胁、袭击或非法拘禁。警方表示，一些人还被迫参与贩毒。
Debtors unable to repay were allegedly threatened, assaulted or unlawfully detained. Some were also pressured to traffic drugs, police said.
该组织设有独立团队，分别负责推广贷款、催收债务和实施暴力犯罪。其服务仅面向香港的越南居民，这使得犯罪集团更难被侦破。
The group had separate teams to promote loans, collect debts and carry out violent offences. Its services were offered only to Vietnamese residents in Hong Kong, making the syndicate harder to investigate.
警方表示，许多债务人因担心语言障碍和移民身份问题，往往不主动寻求警方帮助。
Many debtors, concerned about language barriers and their immigration status, often did not seek police help, officers said.
被捕的127人中，男性55人，女性72人，年龄在23至92岁之间，其中包括37名越南籍人士。
The 127 arrested – 55 men and 72 women aged 23 to 92 – included 37 Vietnamese nationals.
警方缴获现金及贵重物品超过200万港元，此外还查获贷款记录、伪造证件制作设备、赌博工具和毒品。他们还从嫌疑领袖的住所查获一辆价值约40万港元的汽车。
Police seized more than HK$2 million in cash and valuables, along with loan records, counterfeit-document-making equipment, gambling tools and drugs. They also confiscated a car worth about HK$400,000 from the suspected leader’s home.
所有被捕人员目前仍被羁押，警方正在调查他们的背景以及资金的来源和流向。警方表示，不排除进一步逮捕的可能。文/Wynna Wong
All those arrested remained in custody as police investigated their backgrounds and the source and movement of funds. Officers did not rule out further arrests.