Local man convicted and jailed for laundering about $6.7 million
Hong Kong Customs, based on a smuggling case involving endangered species detected in 2022, conducted a follow-up financial investigation and discovered that a local man connected with the case had used his personal bank accounts to conduct numerous suspicious transactions with over 700 counterparties between April 2021 and September 2023, laundering approximately $6.7 million of crime proceeds, in violation of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (OSCO). Customs earlier successfully applied for an enhanced sentence in court, and the 37-year-old local man was convicted of money laundering at the District Court yesterday (September 18) and sentenced to 40 months' imprisonment.
Customs welcomed the sentence. The custodial sentence has imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflects the seriousness of money-laundering offences.
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 182 8080 or its dedicated crime-reporting email account (crimereport@customs.gov.hk) or online form (eform.cefs.gov.hk/form/ced002).
Source: AI-found images
EPD highly concerned over industrial accident at yard waste recycling centre
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD) is highly concerned over an industrial accident that occurred yesterday (January 16) at the yard waste recycling centre, Y·PARK in Tuen Mun, and extends its sympathies to the injured worker and his family members.
At around 2pm yesterday, a worker sustained injury when his left palm was severed while attempting to clear stuck debris at an operating wood chipping machine. He remained conscious and was sent to Tuen Mun Hospital for treatment. The EPD immediately deployed staff to the hospital after the incident to understand the condition of the injured and provide his family members with appropriate assistance.
The EPD notified the Labour Department and the Police in the first instance. Staff from the Labour Department conducted on-site inspection and issued a suspension notice to the contractor, requiring suspension of operation of the concerned machinery until all improvement measures have been implemented. The EPD requested the contractor to fully co-operate with the Labour Department in its investigation, and demanded an incident report from the contractor within three days.
The safety of its facilities remains the top priority of the EPD, with close monitoring of contractors' operation in place. On the contractor's front, daily regular on-site inspections on occupational safety conditions and safety training for employees and its subcontractors are part of their requirements.
The Environmental Protection Department (EPD), Photo source: HKSAR Government Press Releases
