Police arrested 12 people in Kwun Tong after raiding a centre linked to illegal gambling websites and seized more than HK$700,000 in suspected criminal proceeds.
The operation, codenamed FASTCONQUEST, was launched on Wednesday and Thursday after intelligence gathering. Officers from the Kowloon West regional crime unit raided a centre used to process gambling proceeds and launder money.
The 12 arrested included 10 local men and two local women aged 24 to 58. They were suspected of bookmaking, betting with a bookmaker and money laundering.
Among those detained, six were described as key syndicate members or centre operators. Police seized more than HK$400,000 in cash and seven computers, and froze virtual currency worth HK$330,000 from a syndicate leader’s wallet.
Under the Gambling Ordinance, betting with a bookmaker carries a maximum fine of HK$10,000 and three months’ imprisonment on first conviction. Illegal bookmaking carries a maximum fine of HK$5 million and seven years’ imprisonment.
Separately, a police anti-money laundering page says the Financial Intelligence and Investigation Bureau has run Project AccFencers since November 2021. It says the programme has included promotional videos and leaflets released between 7 and 25 August 2023 to spread anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism messages.
The same page says police mounted WISEWORD during Anti-Money Laundering Month in August 2023, leading to 458 arrests, 314 money-laundering-related cases and suspected crime proceeds of more than HK$470 million. It says more than HK$16 million in crime proceeds was prevented from being dissipated.
