Hong Kong Customs detects money laundering case involving about $35 million following narcotics investigation
******************************************************************************************
In August last year, Customs detected a dangerous drugs case involving about $8.3 million worth of drugs and arrested a 33-year-old local man suspected to be connected with the case. A subsequent financial investigation and fund-flow analysis revealed that there were numerous suspicious transactions amounting to a total of about $35 million in the personal bank accounts of the arrested person and another 33-year-old local man between January 2024 and August 2025. The funds were suspected to be crime proceeds.
Upon further investigation, Customs yesterday took enforcement action and arrested the two men 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).
An investigation is ongoing. The likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.
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/Thursday, August 20, 2026
Issued at HKT 11:50
Issued at HKT 11:50
NNNN