US Customs investigators lured an alleged Singaporean counterfeit goods kingpin to Hong Kong because they believed the Lion City was AAunco-operative''.
Lynn Teo Lay Eng is facing extradition to the United States after being trapped allegedly trying to sell fake computer software to an undercover US Customs agent in a luxury hotel near Chek Lap Kok.
Hong Kong Customs are now helping to piece together what is believed to be a global crime network that generated so much money it was wired to the US to buy up property.
But US Customs only turned to Hong Kong because the federal agency was fed up with Singapore authorities.
One US Customs official said: AAThey are not very co-operative unlike Hong Kong. They (Hong Kong officials) wanted to get involved because of the money-laundering link.''
Another key factor in the decision to mount an undercover operation in Hong Kong was that the US believes Singapore does not treat counterfeiting as seriously as the SAR.