Hong Kong police arrested five bookstore workers on suspicion of selling and displaying seditious publications. The operation involved raids on two independent bookstores, including Have A Nice Stay, a shop founded by former journalists. During the raids, officers were seen seizing boxes from the building and leading a woman away in handcuffs.
The government stated that the arrests were made on suspected charges of doing an act with seditious intention, citing breaches of the territory's national security laws. These violations were identified after customs flagged seditious books shipped from overseas.
This operation marks the third round of arrests targeting independent bookstores in four months. Other booksellers have also been detained in recent months as part of a broad national security crackdown.
Hong Kong's top security official has urged booksellers to ensure their titles do not harm national security. While the city once published books on topics such as the Tiananmen crackdown, recent arrests indicate that Beijing intends to bring the city's booksellers and publishers to heel.