13 arrested over HK$53 million money-laundering scheme in Hong Kong, mainland China that preyed on jobseekers
- Cross-border gang falsified bank and ID information obtained through bogus adverts for job and moneymaking schemes
- Hong Kong police find identity details of more than 100 residents, freeze HK$1.62 million in assets of those detained
Hong Kong and mainland Chinese authorities have arrested 13 people for their alleged roles in the laundering of more than HK$53 million (US$6.8 million) in criminal proceeds by tricking jobseekers into handing over their personal information.
City police seized the identity details of more than 100 residents, as well as a large number of bank cards and documents, thought to have been used by the gang for money laundering, while also freezing a total of HK$1.62 million in assets from those arrested, who are further accused of helping to run illegal betting websites.
Senior Superintendent Cheng Lai-ki said law enforcement authorities from both sides of the border conducted a three-day operation to arrest members of the crime syndicate.
The group allegedly lured victims with the promise of easy money and high-paying jobs only to use the details they submitted to set up bank accounts and other means for laundering its ill-gotten gains.
Between June 2019 and April this year, the gang is believed to have handled about HK$53 million in criminal proceeds.
Hong Kong police arrested 12 men and women during the operation, aged between 20 and 42, some of whom were picked up from a Fo Tan factory building.
Among the arrested were the alleged masterminds of the syndicate, which is now believed to have been dismantled.
Mainland authorities have also arrested a 29-year-old man in Henan province said to have modified identity card information and photos. He is currently detained.