Hong Kong police said they arrested 17 people in an operation codenamed "Flash Raid," seizing HK$3.67 million in cash after raiding three locations. Those arrested included 14 men and three women aged 20 to 54, among them 13 Malaysians and four local residents. Police said the cash is believed to be crime proceeds.
Police say ring recruited couriers from overseas
According to police, the scam group recruited Malaysians from outside Hong Kong and arranged flights and accommodation for them to travel to the city and work as couriers. The suspects allegedly posed as relatives of elderly people, falsely claiming they had been arrested by police and needed bail money, then sent couriers to collect cash from the victims.
HK$4.67 million collected between June 4 and Aug. 14
Police said their investigation found that the group collected HK$4.67 million in fraudulent payments between June 4 and Aug. 14. The case involved 22 victims, with reported losses totaling HK$2.47 million.
Five people arrested on Aug. 14, HK$200,000 recovered
Police said they arrested five people on Aug. 14, including two local men, two local women and one Malaysian man. All of them are being detained for investigation. Officers also recovered HK$200,000 in scam proceeds.
Virtual asset exchange shops mentioned in police warning
Police said some foreign exchange or virtual asset exchange shops had been used by the scam group to process or transfer illicit funds. They urged such businesses to verify customers' backgrounds, transaction purposes and sources of funds, and to watch for unusual cash and virtual asset transactions.
Police added that conspiracy to defraud carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.