Why are more Hong Kong young offenders getting involved in money laundering, fraud cases? Promise of quick cash a strong lure, experts say

Top offence of young offenders shifted over the past two years from theft to criminal damage to deception

Children as young as 13 have been targeted on social media for ‘debt collection jobs’ that lead to crime

Reading Time:5 minutes

Published: 8:30am, 13 Oct 2023

Teenager Chan Fung* appears to be an ordinary Hong Kong schoolboy, polite with a goofy sense of humour.

But that easy-going demeanour conceals the 16-year-old’s anxiety about a looming date in court, when he will be sentenced for several extortion offences.

He was 13 when a group of young men approached him and a friend at a billiards club, offering car rides, fancy meals and, eventually, membership of a triad group.

Teenager Chan Fung was involved in multiple violent acts. Photo: Xiaomei Chen

Over a year-long period, he was involved in multiple violent acts ranging from assault to extortion and illegal detention of debtors. The victims owed money to his boss or drug dealers.

His reward for an assignment could reach five figures, with HK$1,000 (US$128) guaranteed each time.

Chan, who had a poor relationship with his family at the time, recalled: “I wanted to rely on myself, to do something special.”

His crime spree ended when he was arrested soon after the Mid-Autumn Festival last year. He spent a year on remand at Pik Uk Prison, and is out on bail awaiting his sentence.

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