Hong Kong police arrest 20 people, including 14 domestic helpers, in crackdown on triad-controlled money-laundering syndicate

Police say those arrested include six Hong Kong men and 14 women, all domestic helpers

Syndicate lured domestic helpers with as little as HK$1,000 each to set up bank accounts to launder HK$10 million in criminal proceeds in six months, force adds

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Chief Inspector So Chi-ming of the Kowloon East regional crime unit (left) and Senior Inspector Ng Ming-fung (right). Police said a syndicate recruited domestic helpers to open stooge bank accounts. Photo: Handout

Published: 3:15pm, 27 May 2024Updated: 8:17pm, 27 May 2024

Hong Kong police have arrested 20 people in a crackdown on a triad-controlled syndicate that lured domestic helpers with as little as HK$1,000 (US$128) each to set up bank accounts for laundering criminal proceeds.

The force on Monday said six of the suspects were Hong Kong men and the other 14 women were domestic helpers from overseas allegedly paid between HK$1,000 and HK$2,500 each to open 17 bank accounts used to process HK$10 million in illegal funds.

“The amount is high when compared with the salaries of domestic helpers,” Chief Inspector So Chi-ming of the Kowloon East regional crime unit said.

“That was the main incentive tempting them to sell their bank accounts.”

So added the syndicate exploited the helpers’ desire for quick money and their lack of knowledge of the city’s laws and deceived them into selling their bank accounts “while using them as shields or scapegoats”.

The minimum monthly salary for domestic helpers increased from HK$4,730 to HK$4,870 last September.