Local man convicted and jailed for laundering about $6.7 million

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Hong Kong Customs, based on a smuggling case involving endangered species detected in 2022, conducted a follow-up financial investigation and discovered that a local man connected with the case had used his personal bank accounts to conduct numerous suspicious transactions with over 700 counterparties between April 2021 and September 2023, laundering approximately $6.7 million of crime proceeds, in violation of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (OSCO). Customs earlier successfully applied for an enhanced sentence in court, and the 37-year-old local man was convicted of money laundering at the District Court yesterday (September 18) and sentenced to 40 months' imprisonment.

Customs welcomed the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of money-laundering offences.

Under the OSCO, a person commits an offence if he or she deals with any property knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that such property in whole or in part directly or indirectly represents any person's proceeds of an indictable offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and imprisonment for 14 years while the crime proceeds are also subject to confiscation.

Members of the public may report any suspected money laundering activities to Customs' 24-hour hotline 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).

Ends/Friday, September 19, 2025
Issued at HKT 15:30

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