The Macao police have nabbed 19 suspected illegal laborers at a downtown construction venue, localmedia reported Wednesday.

Macao Post Daily quoted police sources as saying that based on a tip-off, the authorities Tuesday carried out the swoop, conducting identification check on 373 laborers at Fisherman's Wharf, an entertainment project under-construction.

The 19 detained comprise 15 from the Chinese mainland, and fourfrom Hong Kong, according to the sources.

A total of 238 illegal workers were nabbed here in the first half of 2005, a year-on-year rise of 541 percent, the newspaper reported.

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

(Xinhua News Agency October 19, 2005)