Five mainland Chinese visitors have been jailed for three weeks for breaching their conditions of stay in Hong Kong after they were arrested on suspicion of ticket scalping last week outside a concert by the British band Coldplay.
Three men and two women from mainland China were convicted and sentenced to immediate imprisonment by the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Court on April 9 and 16, Hong Kong police said in a statement on Thursday.
The five defendants, aged between 27 and 51, were among at least 22 people arrested in connection to the four-show Coldplay tour held at Kai Tak Stadium last week. Apart from ticket scalping, police also detained individuals who allegedly used unauthorised means of access to enter the concert venue.
Police said on Thursday that a 55-year-old mainland Chinese man had been charged with conspiracy to defraud and was brought to the Kwun Tong Magistrates’ Courts last Friday.
Earlier police investigations found that two mainland Chinese visitors had purchased Coldplay tickets online and were later approached by the 55-year-old, who claimed he could bring the pair into the venue for a fee of HK$2,000.
When the trio tried to enter the stadium on April 9, staff discovered that the 55-year-old man had an expired ticket and two passes that did not refer to the event on the day. The three were subsequently arrested.
Six other men, aged between 21 and 63, who were arrested for allegedly watching the Coldplay show without tickets, have been released on police bail. They will report to the force next month.
Police also said they will issue summons to three local men, aged between 30 and 31, to face charges of selling admission tickets over the set price.
In a separate statement on Thursday, police said officers arrested three local men and one woman last Saturday for suspected illegal entry to the stadium on April 9.
Two of the male arrestees were reportedly employees at the venue and had allegedly passed their staff wristbands to a man and woman who did not work there.
All of the arrestees were released on police bail and have to report to the force in mid-May.
