Hong Kong police arrest 12 suspected of laundering $15 million through crypto exchange shops

Hong Kong police said a raid targeting a cross-border money laundering syndicated culminated in 12 arrests, dismantling a ring responsible for laundering HK$118 million ($15 million USD) through banks and crypto exchange shops. 

The police's commercial crime bureau arrested two local key members of the syndicate and ten mainland Chinese operatives, nine men and three women between the ages of 20 and 42, the police told local media . The local operatives had recruited the mainland citizens to open shell accounts in both traditional and digital banks in Hong Kong. 

"These people were also arranged to use other bank cards to withdraw cash and then transport the funds to some virtual asset exchange stores to convert them into cryptocurrency as a means of laundering money," police superintendent Shirley Kwok Ching-yee said. As many as 500 stooge accounts were set up. 

A portion of the funds, around $1.3 million, was linked to the proceeds of 58 scam operations. Hong Kong has seen a nearly 12% year-over-year increase in fraud cases, the police said , with more than 10,000 people arrested in connection to fraud operations.  

Hong Kong, which is seeking to accelerate digital asset development , is also cracking down harder on money laundering and fraud, the police said.