ICAC and Korean police joint operation smashes international credit card fraud syndicate
2001-4-5
An international syndicate involved in the manufacturing and uttering of counterfeit credit cards was smashed in a joint operation waged by the ICAC and the Korean police, with the simultaneous arrests of six alleged syndicate members in both places.
As a result of information supplied by the ICAC, four Hong Kong Chinese men, including an alleged mastermind of the syndicate, and a Korean woman were arrested by the Seoul Metropolitan Police in a hotel room in Seoul on Monday (April 2).
The ICAC received information that the suspected mastermind was alleged to have obtained bona fide credit card data through corrupt means from some hotels in Malaysia and retail outlets in Hong Kong, which he forwarded from his base in Hong Kong to his as sociates in Korea for the manufacturing and uttering of bogus cards.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police was forewarned of the information, and two ICAC officers were dispatched to Seoul last week to liaise directly with the police force. Liaison was also established with the Malaysian Police, who had taken arrest action.
Investigation revealed that the arrestees, who had travelled to Seoul from Hong Kong on March 30, 2001, had allegedly uttered 16 counterfeit credit cards after their arrival to obtain merchandise totalling about HK$100,000, while under the surveillance of the Seoul Metropolitan Police.
During the operation on Monday, a bulk of merchandise, including video cameras, gold jewellery items, watches, various apparel items and the relevant sales slips were seized from the hotel room occupied by the arrestees.
It was believed that the syndicate had destroyed the relevant counterfeit credit cards after they had used up the credit limit. However, four other false cards, each with a credit limit of about US$5,000, were recovered in the hotel room.
In Hong Kong, meanwhile, the ICAC took simultaneous action on the same day and arrested a woman believed to be a close associate of the alleged syndicate head.
About 20 sets of bona fide credit card data, as well as two computers and various software for manufacturing false cards were seized from the arrestee's premise.
ICAC's Acting Director of Investigation Gilbert Chan noted that the operation was exemplary of ICAC's co-operation with overseas law enforcement agencies.
"With the globalization of corruption and related fraud, investigation work for law enforcement agencies has become increasingly difficult.
"International co-operation and mutual assistance amongst law enforcement agencies are hence one of our most effective weapons in investigating and combatting criminal activities,” he said.
The five arrestees netted in Seoul are still being detained by the Korean authority, while the woman arrested locally had been released on ICAC bail, pending further inquiry.
As a result of information supplied by the ICAC, four Hong Kong Chinese men, including an alleged mastermind of the syndicate, and a Korean woman were arrested by the Seoul Metropolitan Police in a hotel room in Seoul on Monday (April 2).
The ICAC received information that the suspected mastermind was alleged to have obtained bona fide credit card data through corrupt means from some hotels in Malaysia and retail outlets in Hong Kong, which he forwarded from his base in Hong Kong to his as sociates in Korea for the manufacturing and uttering of bogus cards.
The Seoul Metropolitan Police was forewarned of the information, and two ICAC officers were dispatched to Seoul last week to liaise directly with the police force. Liaison was also established with the Malaysian Police, who had taken arrest action.
Investigation revealed that the arrestees, who had travelled to Seoul from Hong Kong on March 30, 2001, had allegedly uttered 16 counterfeit credit cards after their arrival to obtain merchandise totalling about HK$100,000, while under the surveillance of the Seoul Metropolitan Police.
During the operation on Monday, a bulk of merchandise, including video cameras, gold jewellery items, watches, various apparel items and the relevant sales slips were seized from the hotel room occupied by the arrestees.
It was believed that the syndicate had destroyed the relevant counterfeit credit cards after they had used up the credit limit. However, four other false cards, each with a credit limit of about US$5,000, were recovered in the hotel room.
In Hong Kong, meanwhile, the ICAC took simultaneous action on the same day and arrested a woman believed to be a close associate of the alleged syndicate head.
About 20 sets of bona fide credit card data, as well as two computers and various software for manufacturing false cards were seized from the arrestee's premise.
ICAC's Acting Director of Investigation Gilbert Chan noted that the operation was exemplary of ICAC's co-operation with overseas law enforcement agencies.
"With the globalization of corruption and related fraud, investigation work for law enforcement agencies has become increasingly difficult.
"International co-operation and mutual assistance amongst law enforcement agencies are hence one of our most effective weapons in investigating and combatting criminal activities,” he said.
The five arrestees netted in Seoul are still being detained by the Korean authority, while the woman arrested locally had been released on ICAC bail, pending further inquiry.