Hong Kong police have arrested 21 people allegedly linked to a syndicate led by gang members who recruited domestic workers to launder more than HK$70 million via virtual bank accounts. Police raided multiple employment agencies and residential units on Tuesday and Wednesday, arresting nine Hongkongers and 12 women from the Philippines and Indonesia for allegedly laundering a total of HK$74 million in two years. The arrestees, aged 28 to 51, included six gang members, two people in charge of employment agencies and 11 bank account holders, the police told the press on Thursday afternoon.
They are suspected of money laundering and conspiracy to commit money laundering. All have been granted bail awaiting further investigation. See also: Indonesian domestic workers among 20 arrested in Hong Kong over alleged money laundering Lo Chun-kong, senior inspector of the technology and financial crime unit of New Territories North Regional Headquarters, said that the police had identified two key triad members who worked at two employment agencies.
The two gang members lured domestic helpers to open virtual bank accounts in exchange for money or second-hand mobile phones, Lo said. “If domestic helpers agree to open a bank account, the gang members will meet them in parks, canteens or even employment agencies to open bank accounts,” Lo said in Cantonese. “They will assist domestic helpers to fill in personal information, set up usernames and passwords to log into the accounts onlin.
