Mainland gang jailed for conning elderly pair with dud notes
The ringleader of a gang of mainland con artists was jailed yesterday for five years and nine months for street scams involving the exchange of foreign currency.
The court was told that between May and August last year, two elderly housewives were duped out of a total of $120,000 in return for valueless foreign banknotes.
District Court Judge Fergal Sweeney said the con artists not only took advantage of the kindness of the vulnerable women but also exploited their inability to understand English.
Ringleader Huang Xiaoji, 36, was convicted of obtaining property by deception, conspiracy to defraud and possession of false instruments. He denied all charges.
Huang was arrested with three accomplices on August 31 soon after they were spotted by police approaching female pedestrians in Tseung Kwan O.
Huang was prosecuted along with three female accomplices - Guan Liqing, 35, Guo Shaofei, 29, Guo Yee, 46.
Another suspect, Guan Jinqian, disappeared after being granted bail by a judge and is now being sought by police.
Judge Sweeney said he decided to hand down 'deterrent sentences' against Huang and his accomplices because they abused the hospitality of Hong Kong towards visitors.
He chastised Huang for not pleading guilty and rejected his claim of remorse. The three accomplices were sentenced to jail terms of 21/2 to three years.
The victim of one of the gang's acts of deception, carried out on May 25, was a 60-year-old housewife.
The court heard she was in North Point when approached by Guan Jinqian - the suspect who has jumped bail - who lied to her about a family illness.
Guan told the victim she desperately needed to raise Hong Kong dollars to pay her uncle's medical bills.
She said she had been refused service at a branch of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank when she tried to exchange Australian banknotes for Hong Kong dollars.
The ringleader, Huang, then appeared posing as a HSBC branch manager and offered to assist. But Guan declined the bank's service, claiming she no longer trusted the bank.
Huang then asked the victim to help Guan by giving her the Hong Kong dollars she needed in return for the Australian banknotes.
The woman withdrew money from her bank account and handed Huang and Guan $50,000 in return for a wad of banknotes.
Then the two disappeared.
When Guan tried to change the 'Australian banknotes' she discovered they were Brazilian currency not in circulation since 1994.
