On 10 August 2020, the Hong Kong offices of "Apple Daily" were searched by over 200 national security officers in a large-scale police raid, following Lai's arrest for alleged violations of the recently implemented national security law. Lai's two sons, along with four senior executives of Next Digital and three social activists, were also arrested on the same day. The arrests came amid Beijing's ongoing crackdown against many pro-democracy figures in Hong Kong, which drew condemnation from international governments and human rights groups. Lai and other arrestees reportedly faced charges of "foreign collusion", which included advocating for foreign sanctions, based on the broad definitions of the national security law. Earlier in the week, the United States had placed sanctions on 11 high-profile Hong Kong officials involved in the city's democratic suppression.