Hong Kong Arrests 14 Indonesians over Alleged Money Laundering
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29 May 2024 22:03 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that 14 Indonesian citizens were arrested by the Hong Kong police on Monday, May 27 over alleged money laundering. The Indonesian Consulate General received the information a day later.
The police arrested 20 people, including 14 domestic workers from Indonesia for allegedly opening a bank account to store the illicit money amounting to over HK$10 million or about Rp20.7 billion.
The total loss caused by this fraud reached about HK$5.4 million or Rp11 billion.
According to local media Hong Kong Free Press, six Hong Kong men and 14 Indonesian migrant workers, aged 29 to 63, were arrested.
“We have requested consular access to meet with 14 Indonesian citizens suspected of committing money laundering,” said Judha Nugraha, the Director of Indonesian Citizens Protection at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, during a press conference in Central Jakarta on Wednesday, May 29.
Eric So, Acting Chief Inspector of the Kowloon East Regional Crime Unit, revealed that a local syndicate targeted foreign domestic workers and lured them to create stooge accounts by offering monetary rewards between HK$1,000 to HK$2,500, or about Rp2 million to Rp5.1 million. The syndicate fully controlled the accounts.
Of the 20 suspects arrested, six men and two women were identified as core members of the syndicate, while 12 people acted as account holders. The police discovered that some of them had ties to triads.
They had opened at least 17 bank accounts to launder more than HK$10 million of criminal proceeds. The financial profits came from 39 fraud cases occurring between November and April 2023.
The Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs appealed to citizens, especially migrant workers in Hong Kong to be careful with various modes of money laundering, and not to be easily persuaded to open online bank accounts with the promise of monetary rewards.
“This is a violation of money laundering per the laws in force in the region,” Judha stressed.
Defendants of money laundering in Hong Kong can face a fine of up to HK$5 million or about Rp10 billion and imprisonment of up to 14 years.
NABIILA AZZAHRA A. | HONG KONG FREE PRESS
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