For the first time, Hong Kong Customs has detected a case of cross-border vehicle drivers assisting in money laundering activities.
From May to August this year, two cross-border seven-person car drivers repeatedly declared that they were carrying large amounts of cash to exit the country via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, which aroused suspicion by the customs.
After intelligence analysis and in-depth investigation, the Customs took enforcement action last Thursday (19th), arresting two cross-border vehicle drivers in the Guanjingshan Tunnel, and later arrested one more cross-border vehicle driver and a director of a money changer And a money changer clerk.
They are suspected of conspiring to launder money, the amount involved is about 170 million Hong Kong dollars, and they are now on bail pending investigation.
It is understood that due to the Hong Kong dollar in Macau casinos, it is initially believed that more than 100 million Hong Kong dollars in cash in the case may be used in casinos.
The Senior Supervisor of the Organized Crime Investigation Division of Customs, Hu Weijun, told the case that in early May, the customs analyzed the passenger cash declaration and found that two seven-man cross-border vehicle drivers declared to leave Hong Kong via the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge with a large amount of cash.
Last Thursday (19th) the Customs took enforcement action code-named "Interceptor", stopping two outbound vehicles on the Hong Kong section of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, and then searched 3 residential units in the New Territories and a money changer in Kwun Tong , Arrested a total of 5 men aged between 40 and 43, including 3 cross-border car drivers and two money changers in charge.
They are suspected of conspiring to bring a large amount of unidentified cash to Macau. They have shipped about 170 million yuan in the past three months and are now on bail pending investigation.
In addition, the customs freezes about 580,000 Hong Kong dollars in funds.
This is the first time that the Customs has detected a case of cross-border vehicle drivers assisting in money laundering activities.
Hu described the criminal tactics as "roundabout". The group first used the seven-seater driver to transport the money across the border, then arranged the trailer for delivery, and took it to Macau and Zhuhai.
None of the participants in this method understood the whole process. "The arrested people said they didn't go to the whole journey, the downstream said they didn't go to the upstream, and the upstream said they didn't go to the downstream."
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He Meiling, Acting Supervisor of the Wealth Investigation Section of the Organized Crime Investigation Bureau, further explained that in May this year, two seven-person car drivers declared to the customs that they carried a large amount of their own cash to Macau and Zhuhai, the amount ranged from 3 million to 27 million yuan. , Arousing suspicion by the customs.
First of all, during the epidemic period, import and export passengers decreased, and it is rare to bring large amounts of cash out of the country in the name of individuals. Since May, the two drivers have declared a total of 17 large amounts of cash out of the country, and the amount of 170 million yuan involved is really suspicious.
After checking the entry and exit records of the seven-person vehicle, it was found that it only took 60 minutes to go back and forth between Hong Kong and Zhuhai, but the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge was 42 kilometers long and took at least 80 minutes. It is unreasonable to complete the journey in 60 minutes.
Coupled with Macau's epidemic prevention measures, it should have been quarantined for 14 days, and the short-term travel between the three places aroused suspicion.
The financial background of the two seven-person car drivers is also the focus of the Customs investigation. One driver lives in a public housing estate in Tin Shui Wai, with a monthly salary of tens of thousands of yuan, a deposit of tens of thousands of yuan, and no property; the other driver lives in a subdivided apartment in Yuen Long, with fluctuating income and only a few savings. One hundred yuan, no property.
The income and assets of the two did not match the large amount of cash reported to be for "personal use", so the customs conducted an investigation.
Customs officers inspected the target vehicle on the artificial island last Thursday. The cross-border seven-person vehicle went through the exit formalities and brought 20 million yuan reported as belonging to him to Macau; another target trailer that did not declare to the customs to bring a large amount of cash out of the country also processed Good exit procedures.
The two vehicles arrived at the roadside of the Guanjingshan Tunnel for delivery. The delivery time was less than 20 seconds. Then the trailers walked along the Guanjingshan Tunnel and were ready to leave on the bridge.
As for the seven-seater car, it has been parked on the side of the road and headed towards the Guanjingshan Tunnel in 30 minutes.
At this time, the Customs took an arrest operation and then searched three residential units in the New Territories and arrested an additional seven-person vehicle driver.
Investigations revealed that two seven-person car drivers had both entered and exited a money change shop in Kwun Tong. As the person in charge failed to provide a reasonable explanation on the source of the cash, the customs arrested a director and a staff member and seized 300,000 yuan in cash , A number of mobile phones and closed-circuit television, and frozen assets of 580,000 yuan.
The customs is investigating the whereabouts and sources of the money, and it does not rule out more people being arrested.
It is understood that due to the Hong Kong dollar in Macau casinos, it is initially believed that more than 100 million Hong Kong dollars in cash in the case may be used in casinos.
Huang Dateng, commander of the Wealth Intelligence Coordinating Group of the Wealth Investigation Division of the Organized Crime Investigation Bureau, pointed out that one of the drivers took cash out of the country seven times in May and August this year, involving a total of 88 million Hong Kong dollars, all of which reported going to Macau.
Another driver declared 10 times at the same time, involving a total of 78 million Hong Kong dollars. The main destination of the amount was Macau, and once to Zhuhai.
He pointed out that only cargo drivers are exempt from quarantine.
For the cross-border vehicle driver in the case to go back and forth to Hong Kong, Zhuhai and Macau in a short time, the customs will contact Macau and Zhuhai to understand the driver's actions after leaving Hong Kong.
It is known that the drivers did not enter the territory of Zhuhai and Macau, plus the "Easy Return to Hong Kong" measure, so they do not need to be quarantined after returning to Hong Kong.
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