Five Macau residents who are currently detained over suspected cross-border money laundering that involves MOP1.1 billion patacas were accused of money laundering and criminal organisation crimes, according to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP).
In a statement, the crimes are punishable between 10 to 12 years.
The MP explained that the criminal investigation judge has decided to “apply to three defendants coercive measure of pre-trial detention and coercive measures of providing a bond, periodic presentation and prohibition of absence from the MSAR to the other two defendants.”
Last week, the Judiciary Police (PJ) said that the syndicate, involving 22 people, had been operating since October 2020 and had instructed several members to open 181 bank accounts in Hong Kong to receive and process electronic payments.
The bank accounts had also served to receive deposits of large sums of money from several countries.
Since July 2021, several members of the group were sent to Macau to withdraw money from ATMs using Hong Kong cards.
Around MOP1.1 billion were found in suspicious deposits. The group members withdrew around MOP358 million patacas in Macau and Hong Kong. LV
