Two Local Women Sentenced for HK$280 Million Money Laundering

Customs' first-ever conviction of money laundering by means of cross-boundary transportation of large quantity of currency and bearer negotiable instruments by passengers

Two local women were convicted of "dealing with property known or believed to represent proceeds of indictable offence" (commonly known as money laundering) of about HK$280 million of proceeds of crime by means of cross-boundary transportation of large quantities of cash to Hong Kong, in contravention of the Organized and Serious Crimes Ordinance (OSCO), and were sentenced to 58 months' and 36 months' imprisonment respectively at the District Court today (May 7). This is the first-ever conviction of money laundering by means of cross-boundary transportation of large quantities of currency and bearer negotiable instruments by passengers since the Cross-boundary Movement of Physical Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments Ordinance came into operation in July 2018.

The two defendants were found to have frequently transported a large quantity of cash to Hong Kong via boundary control points between 2018 and 2019. Follow-up investigations revealed that they were suspected to have dealt with a total of about $280 million of proceeds of crime. Customs arrested the duo at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point in September 2019 and formally charged them with four counts of money laundering in April 2023.

Customs welcomes the sentences. The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect 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 violation of the above-mentioned ordinance 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).

The Hong Kong Customs, Photo source: reference image

LegCo releases short video explaining new rules of allowing dogs in food premises

The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat:

The Legislative Council (LegCo) today (May 7) took note of the report on Food Business (Amendment) Regulation 2026 and expressed its support for the Government to relax the ban on dogs entering food premises - a restriction that has been in place for over 30 years.

A spokesman for LegCo said, "To facilitate the public better understand the new regulations, the LegCo Secretariat has launched a new initiative by producing its first concise and short film. It aims to explain the regulation to the public in an easy-to-understand and down-to-earth manner. The video focuses on key enforcement points and highlights some common scenarios where violations may easily occur. This would help citizens in adhering to the law, while also promoting and creating an ideal pet-friendly environment. By spending about two minutes on the video, citizens will be able to grasp the key aspects of the new measure."

Members of the public are welcome to watch the video on LegCo Website: https://www.legco.gov.hk/en/photogallery/player.html?album=video&term=2026&id=415

The LegCo's spokesman added, "LegCo Members have always upheld the 'people-oriented' principle and are concerned about all matters related to people's livelihoods. The deliberations in LegCo are closely connected with people's daily lives. This new initiative of releasing promotional videos reflects the inseparable linkage between the work of LegCo and public communication. LegCo will continue to release new videos from time to time, facilitating the public to learn about various policies or ordinances easily."

Source: AI-found images