Hong Kong customs arrests 3 over alleged HK$61 million money-laundering case

Hong Kong customs officers have arrested three people suspected of laundering about HK$61 million (US$7.8 million) of illegal funds, with the trio allegedly conducting more than 10,000 transactions in a year.

Officers uncovered the case during a financial investigation into one of two people previously arrested in connection with a drug-related crime. The arrested woman, 63, was found to have bank accounts dealing with a large amount of funds of unknown origin.

“Through a cash flow analysis, investigators further discovered that another local woman, 55, and a local man, 30, had conducted transfers with these accounts and collected a large amount of funds,” Billy Au Wing-cheung from customs’ financial investigation bureau said on Friday.

“Between January and December of 2024, the three people had dealt with about HK$61 million in suspected criminal proceeds through 10 accounts in seven local banks, including four virtual banks. The number of transactions exceeded 10,000.”

The man and woman were arrested on Thursday in a raid on two flats, while the 63-year-old woman was also taken into custody, with all three suspected of laundering money.

Au said the transactions involving the trio were found to be suspicious as they did not match their financial backgrounds.