Hong Kong police Thursday evening detained a group of eight people on suspicion of possession of arms and explosives, including the founder of the banned radical Nationalist Party of Hong Kong Andy Chan, HKFP reported. 

Seven men and a woman were captured in an industrial building in the mainland. Hazardous chemicals and objects have been seized.

However, law enforcement authorities conducted another raid, confiscating 30 smoke bombs in a residential apartment. Three members of one family have been arrested.

Police operations were conducted ahead of new protest action, which pro-democratic activists are going to hold Saturday in a densely populated area of Mong Kok.

A few weeks ago, mass protests broke out against a bill initiated by local authorities, which aims to set up a mechanism for issuing from Hong Kong to mainland China for the prosecution of people suspected of violating the law.