Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong said during a regular press conference yesterday that PJ officers has recently arrested a Hong Kong woman for opening shell companies and assisting an email fraud gang, which had cheated an Australian company out of US$1 million (eight million patacas), to launder and transfer funds.
Chong said that the 58-year-old suspect, surnamed Cheang, told that police she’s jobless.
According to Chong, in late 2017, the Judiciary Police launched an investigation into a money laundering case at the request of the local Financial Intelligence Office (GIF). The case involved a Japanese company and an Australian company, which had been scammed out of 30 million yen (two million patacas) and US$1 million, respectively. The investigation revealed that the money had been transferred to a shell company bank account owned by Cheang.
Although the bank had blocked the transfer of the 30 million yen, the US$1 million was successfully transferred.
Chong said that Cheang had been tasked with opening the shell company in Macau, but had left the city before 2017, after which Cheang issued several cheques to the gang for them to cash. During the money laundering process, Cheang said that she received queries from the bank regarding the suspicious transactions. Cheang then informed the gang members, who instructed her not to return to Macau.
Chong said that in April and May 2021, four of the crime gang members were arrested in Macau for cashing some of the cheques.
Cheang was intercepted when she entered Macau on Friday on suspicion of being involved in an online scam. Under questioning, she admitted to receiving tens of thousands of patacas from the gang.
Chong noted that she had a criminal record in Hong Kong which was related to organising illegal gambling venues.
Cheang has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing money-laundering charges, Chong said.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference. – Photo: William Chan
