Several arrested as Hong Kong police raid Apple Daily newspaper

Hong Kong police have arrested the chief editor and four other senior executives of the Apple Daily newspaper under the national security law on suspicion of collusion with a foreign country to endanger national security, according to media reports.

Local media, including the South China Morning Post and Apple Daily, reported on Thursday that national security police arrested Apple Daily's chief editor Ryan Law.

Police said five executives were arrested "for collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security". 

Apple Daily said Law was among those arrested. 

Others arrested included Cheung Kim-hung, the CEO of Next Digital, which operates Apple Daily, as well as its chief operating officer and two other editors.

The government said in a statement that Hong Kong's National Security Department had arrested five directors of a company for "suspected contravention" of the national security law.

Second operation on Apple Daily

It is the second time that Hong Kong's police force have conducted an operation on Apple Daily, with police arresting founder Jimmy Lai and other executives last year on suspicion of national security law violations or fraud.

Lai is currently serving a 20-month prison sentence for his role in unauthorized assemblies in 2019, during a period when Hong Kong saw massive anti-government protests. 

Last month, authorities froze Lai's assets and shares in Next Digital.