The Macao police have nabbed 24 illegal laborers at AIA Tower, a local entertainment site, local media reported on Tuesday.

The Macao Post Daily quoted police sources as saying that the police conducted the swoop based on a tip-off.

The 24 illegal workers are all from the Chinese mainland, holding mainland passports or travel documents, the sources told the newspaper.

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

Meanwhile, Macao's number of legally imported laborers reached 56,553 at the end of September, a year-on-year rise of 62.8 percent, according to official statistics issued earlier this month.

The region has a population of 503,000.

Source: Xinhua