香港海關首次偵破以跨國鑽石貿易進行清洗約五億元黑錢案件（gov.hk）
香港海關於十二月十九日至二十日採取代號「破鑽者」的執法行動，成功瓦解一個大型跨國清洗黑錢集團，案件涉款約五億元。是次為海關首次偵破集團利用鑽石貿易進行清洗黑錢活動。行動中，海關突擊搜查全港多區共八個處所，包括四個住宅及四個商業單位，共拘捕四名懷疑涉案人士，並已凍結他們名下合共約八百二十萬元資產。
海關人員於今年年初鎖定一個跨國清洗黑錢集團和展開財富調查，並與印度海關進行情報交流。調查發現集團成員分別於香港及印度兩地設立鑽石貿易公司，懷疑於二○二一年期間從香港出口大量低價值的人造鑽石到印度，在出口報關時卻虛報貨物為高價值天然鑽石，企圖合理地將巨額可疑資金從印度匯款到香港，上述期間的可疑交易總額高逹五億元。
經深入調查後，海關人員於十二月十九至二十日採取執法行動，根據《有組織及嚴重罪行條例》，以涉嫌「處理已知道或相信為代表從可公訴罪行的得益的財產」（俗稱洗黑錢）罪名拘捕四名年齡介乎三十歲至五十六歲的懷疑涉案人士，分別為一名中國籍男子及三名非華裔男子，相信為跨國清洗黑錢集團的主腦、骨幹及基層成員。
此外，海關人員在涉案人士的住宅及商業單位中，檢獲大量懷疑人造鑽石、少量天然鑽石、折合約一百萬港元外幣現金、多部手提電話、電腦、公司印章、銀行支票簿、銀行卡、銀行文件及出入口文件等。
案件仍在調查中，四名被捕人士現正保釋候查，不排除會有更多人被捕。
根據《有組織及嚴重罪行條例》，任何人士如知道或有合理理由相信任何財產，不論全部或部分、直接或間接，代表任何人從可公訴罪行的得益，而仍然處理該財產，即屬犯罪。一經定罪，最高可被判罰款五百萬元及監禁十四年，而相關犯罪得益亦可被沒收。
市民可致電海關二十四小時熱線2545 6182，或透過舉報罪案專用電郵帳戶（crimereport@customs.gov.hk）或網上表格（eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002）舉報懷疑參與洗黑錢的活動。
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2023年12月28日（星期四）
香港時間13時14分
Hong Kong Customs detects first-ever money laundering case through transnational diamond trading with about $500 million laundered（gov.hk）
Hong Kong Customs mounted an operation codenamed “Gem Crusher” between December 19 and 20 and successfully smashed a large-scale transnational money laundering syndicate that had laundered about $500 million. It was the first-ever money laundering case using transnational diamond trading detected by Customs. During the operation, Customs raided eight premises across multiple areas in Hong Kong, including four residential premises and four commercial units. Customs arrested four persons suspected to be connected with the case and has already arranged to freeze a total of $8.2 million of assets held by the arrestees.
Customs officers targeted a suspected transnational money laundering syndicate and initiated a financial investigation, and engaged in intelligence exchange with Indian Customs early this year. The investigation revealed that the syndicate members established diamond trading companies in both Hong Kong and India. The syndicate was suspected to have exported synthetic diamonds of low value from Hong Kong to India, but lodged a false declaration as natural diamonds of high value, in 2021 in a bid to reasonably transfer significant amounts of suspicious funds from India to Hong Kong. The total amount of the suspicious transactions reached $500 million in the captioned period.
After an in-depth investigation, Customs officers conducted the enforcement operation on December 19 and 20. Four persons, aged between 30 and 56, were arrested on suspicion of “dealing with property known or reasonably believed to represent proceeds of an indictable offence” (commonly known as money laundering) under the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (OSCO). The arrested persons consisted of one Chinese male and three non-ethnic Chinese males. They were believed to be the masterminds, ring leaders and members of the syndicate.
Additionally, Customs officers seized a large quantity of suspected synthetic diamonds, a small quantity of natural diamonds, foreign currency cash equivalent to about $1 million, a number of mobile phones, computers, company chops, cheque books, bank cards, bank documents and trading documents inside the arrestees’ residential and commercial premises.
The investigation is ongoing. The four arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation, and the likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.
Under the OSCO, a person commits an offence if he or she deals with any property knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that such property, in whole or in part, directly or indirectly represents any person’s proceeds of an indictable offence. The maximum penalty upon conviction is a fine of $5 million and imprisonment for 14 years while the crime proceeds are also subject to confiscation.
Members of the public may report any suspected money laundering activities to Customs’ 24-hour hotline 2545 6182 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Ends/Thursday, December 28, 2023
Issued at HKT 13:14
香港印度海關聯手偵破跨國鑽石貿易洗黑錢案涉款五億 兩地各拘4人
港澳(tvb)
2023-12-28 13:00
香港海關聯同印度海關，首次偵破犯罪集團利用跨國鑽石貿易洗黑錢，涉款五億元，兩地分別拘捕四人。
這批鑽石，再看一下這批，兩批鑽石看似一樣，但實際不同，部分是海關破獲洗黑錢案時檢獲的人造鑽石。
海關財富調查科年初與印度海關情報交流時，發現有犯罪集團在兩地開設貿易公司，前年利用香港公司申報超過130次，由香港出口天然鑽石至印度，但印度海關檢驗後發現是人造鑽石，價值只是天然鑽石的百分之一，亦懷疑印度公司將犯罪得益當作正當貿易貨款，匯至香港清洗，涉款共五億元。
海關財富調查科財富調查組指揮官陳經緯表示：「洗黑錢集團看中鑽石容易攜帶、運輸成本不高，但價值高昂的特性，於是將鑽石作為洗黑錢工具。不斷以幾可亂真的人造鑽石，假冒為高價值天然鑽石，合理化將海外不法資金持續匯來港。」
海關調查發現，涉案貿易公司持續出現交易頻密、互相轉帳等情況，並非一般公司營運手法。
海關上星期突擊搜查尖沙咀四個辦公室及四個住所，拘捕四名30至56歲男子，三人為非華裔，當中兩人是集團主腦，亦即時凍結被捕人士多個銀行戶口約570萬元資產。印度海關亦在當地拘捕四人。
海關又指，越來越多洗黑錢活動趨向涉及跨境元素等，未來會持續和海外執法機構加強溝通及合作。
Published: 15:59, December 28, 2023 | Updated: 18:35, December 28, 2023
HK$500m money-laundering ring in diamond trade smashed
HONG KONG – Hong Kong Customs has busted a large-scale money laundering syndicate that used the international trade in diamonds to launder HK$500 million ($64 million) to the territory from India.
Customs officers arrested four persons, aged between 30 to 56, for their alleged involvement in the syndicate during an operation from Dec 19 to 20 and had HK$8.2 million of their assets frozen, according to a customs statement.
Yeung Yuk-man, acting deputy head of the Customs Financial Investigation Bureau under the Hong Kong Customs and Excise Department, said this was the first money laundering case detected in Hong Kong that used transnational diamond trading for money-laundering purposes.
Customs officers liaised with their Indian counterparts early this year after the syndicate established diamond trading companies in both the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region and India.
The syndicate was suspected of exporting synthetic diamonds of low value from Hong Kong to India but declaring them as natural diamonds of high value in 2021 to enable the transfer a total of HK$500 million in suspicious funds to the SAR.
Chan King-wai, divisional commander of the Customs’ Financial Investigation Division, said the syndicate traded about 200 to 500 carats of diamonds each time, with the amount of money involved ranging from HK$2-5 million.
Investigators also found that the syndicate had opened bank accounts in Hong Kong to handle money obtained through their criminal activities. The flow of money was swift, with frequent and substantial transfers occurring among the members — all typical money-laundering techniques, the customs said.
On Dec 19 and Dec 20, customs raided eight premises across Hong Kong, including four residences and four commercial units, and arrested the four suspects – a Chinese man and three non-Chinese males.
Customs officers also seized a large quantity of suspected synthetic diamonds, a small quantity of natural diamonds, foreign currency cash worth about HK$1 million, a number of mobile phones, computers, company chops, cheque books, bank cards, bank documents and trading documents inside the arrestees’ residential and commercial premises.
The four arrested persons have been released on bail pending further investigation, and the likelihood of further arrests is not ruled out.
Customs reminded members of the public that the maximum penalty for money laundering is a fine of HK$5 million and imprisonment for 14 years, while the crime proceeds are also subject to confiscation.
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