The Philippine Consulate General in Hong Kong confirmed the arrest of six Filipino domestic helpers for breaching conditions of stay and falsely running a dental clinic.
6 Pinoy domestic workers in Hong Kong arrested for running fake dental clinic
Hands grasp the bars in a jail cell in this undated photo. (Getty Images)
The confirmation came on Wednesday, Aug. 20, days after the Aug. 17 arrest of the Filipino workers.
“The said FDWs (Foreign Domestic Workers) are currently detained by the Hong Kong Immigration Department (HK ImmD) for breach of condition of stay by taking up unapproved employment and establishing, or joining in business in Hong Kong; and falsely pretending to be a dentist,” the consulate said in a statement.
It assured that the Consulate General and the Migrant Workers Office in Hong Kong are already assisting the Filipinos.
“The Consulate General is also coordinating with HK ImmD Foreign Domestic Helpers Section while the official investigation of the case is ongoing,” it added.
According to reports, the Filipinos were arrested amid ongoing efforts to combat illegal labor activities in the territory.
The Filipinos were allegedly running an unlicensed dental clinic in a hidden tenement flat in Sham Shui Po. Two of the Filipinos worked as unlicensed dentists, while the others worked as assistants.
They reportedly learned dentistry from online videos, offering their services to fellow Filipino workers in Hong Kong. The rate of each dental visit ranged between HK$150 and HK$500.