Customs arrests two over HK$35m fast-account laundering case
Thestandard · 2 SOURCESabout 3 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong Customs said it arrested two 33-year-old local men on August 19 in a suspected money laundering case involving about HK$35 million and so-called “fast accounts.” The investigation grew out of a 2025 drug case and focused on personal bank accounts allegedly sold to a criminal syndicate to receive and quickly move suspected crime proceeds.
Key Points
- Customs’ Financial Investigation Branch took enforcement action on August 19 after tracing fund flows linked to a 2025 drug case.
- The first suspect, a telecommunications repairman, allegedly sold access to his personal bank account through an instant messaging platform for payment.
- His account had previously handled only a few hundred to a few thousand Hong Kong dollars monthly, but received more than HK$1.7 million within one month after the alleged sale.
- Investigators said the money usually stayed in that account for no more than two days, and almost all of it was later transferred to the second suspect’s personal account.
- The second suspect, who said he worked as a logistics assistant, allegedly received HK$33.5 million in unexplained funds between January 2024 and August 2025 through 5,800 transactions involving more than 1,000 counterparties
Why It Matters
Customs said it believes the two personal accounts were used as “fast accounts,” with the first account narrowing scattered incoming proceeds and the second consolidating and redistributing funds through layered transfers. Investigators said they have no evidence so far that the two arrested men knew each other, have not seen overseas accounts involved at this stage, and do not rule out further arrests after consulting the Department of Justice