Hong Kong Customs mounted an enforcement operation codenamed "Mirage" on December 18 and 19 and successfully dismantled a money laundering syndicate. Five local persons suspected to be connected with the case were arrested. They were suspected of laundering about $8.9 billion in funds from unknown sources via fictitious trading activities.
           
     Acting upon intelligence, Customs targeted three local persons and initiated a financial investigation. It was revealed that the three persons opened multiple local company and personal bank accounts between January 2022 and December 2025 to deal with over 3 700 suspicious transactions totalling about $8.9 billion.
      
     After an in-depth investigation, Customs conducted the enforcement operation on the aforesaid dates. Two local males and three local females, aged between 28 and 59 and suspected to be connected with the case, were arrested for "dealing with property known or reasonably believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence" (commonly known as money laundering) under the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (OSCO).
      
     During the operation, Customs raided multiple local premises, including three residential units and three commercial premises. A batch of items suspected to be connected with the case, including a number of mobile phones, cheque books, and trade documents, was seized. About $55 million worth of assets under the names of the arrestees have been frozen and put under close monitoring.
       
     The investigation is ongoing. The five arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation, and the likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.

     Customs reminds members of the public that they may risk committing the crime of money laundering if they use personal or company bank accounts to deal with money from unknown sources, regardless of whether a monetary reward is involved.
      
     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/Tuesday, December 23, 2025
Issued at HKT 16:12

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