Fake credit card gang cracked in airport swoop
A MAJOR counterfeit credit card syndicate operating in Hongkong has been cracked following an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) operation at Kai Tak last week.
Eight alleged members of the gang were arrested at the airport on Friday on their way to Japan.
ICAC officers found more than 70 forged credit cards, each of which could buy goods and services worth up to $50,000, on two of the men.
The forged cards, described as ''high quality'', were hidden in cigarette packets and the cover of a book.
The latest operation follows a series aimed at stemming international credit card fraud in which the ICAC and Commercial Crime Bureau believe most of the major syndicates have been cracked.
In the last major operation, on February 3, officers in Hongkong, Macau, Thailand and the US arrested 20 people and seized 600 fake cards, manufacturing equipment, and numerous account details.
Detectives believe that syndicate to be the world's second largest.
Principal ICAC investigator Mr Daniel Li Ming-chak said Friday's operation netted most of the gang, although it was possible some may have left earlier for Japan.
''The group only came to our knowledge recently, but the ringleader has been known to us for some time,'' he said.
The eight suspects are expected to be charged this week.
