An illegal currency exchange dealer from the mainland has been arrested after he transferred fraudulent funds to a man he struck a deal with, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokeswoman Lei Hon Nei said during a regular press conference yesterday.
The 34-year-old male suspect is surnamed Li.
According to Lei, on Friday at 10 p.m. the male victim from the mainland and Li agreed to exchange HK$500,000 for 470,000 yuan (517,000 patacas) during a meeting in the victim’s hotel guestroom in Cotai after the victim had contacted Li on social media. The victim handed over the cash to Li, after which the latter transferred the yuan to the victim’s mainland account using an online platform.
In the meantime, the victim received a call from the mainland’s anti-fraud centre saying that his account had been frozen due to receiving money obtained through fraudulent activities, and he reported the case to the police.
The police went to the guestroom and confiscated the cash that was given to Li. Under questioning, Li claimed that he was unaware that the funds were obtained through illegal activities and told the police that he was merely following instructions. He said that he would be paid HK$1,000 as “compensation” if he had completed the transaction.
Li has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing fraud and money laundering charges, according to Lei.
This undated handout photo provided by the Judiciary Police (PJ) yesterday shows evidence such as bank notes.
