Two bookstore owners arrested over 'seditious acts'

National security police on Wednesday arrested two bookshop owners on suspicion of committing acts with seditious intent for allegedly displaying and selling publications that incite hatred against the SAR government, the judiciary and law enforcement agencies. The two arrestees – a 33-year-old woman and a 32-year-old man – are also accused of money laundering. Police say they're suspected to have received multiple payments from foreign political organisations. Officers said they seized a batch of seditious items, books, and case-related documents from the suspects' shop and residence in an operation in Sham Shui Po on Wednesday. Both are being detained as investigations continue. In a statement, the police urged members of the public to abide by the law, saying that “doing an act that has a seditious intention with a seditious intention” and “dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence” are serious offences that can result in prison terms of up to seven years and 14 years respectively. Edited by Cecil Wong