The Macao police have nabbed 38 laborers suspected to be illegally employed in a hotel-casino construction site, local media reported Tuesday.

Macao Post Daily quoted police sources as saying that 67 police personnel launched a massive swoop on the site and the raid lasted for five hours, involving identification checks of over 240 laborers.

The newspaper reported that 28 of the suspects were holding mainland passports but lacked authorization to work in Macao, one was believed to hold bogus travel document and nine were found working not in line with their specific work permits.

The swoop was a routine operation against illegal laboring on local construction sites, the sources were cited.

The construction industry has been booming in Macao, which is viewed by local analysts as being generated by the blossoming gaming business.

The employment of illegal workers is a crime that incurs hefty fines and imprisonment in case of repeated offenders. Illegally employed workers are customarily ordered to leave Macao.

(Xinhua News Agency March 22, 2006)