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Leopold Chen

Hong Kong police have arrested 147 people after dismantling a triad syndicate suspected of setting up centres to coordinate bank accounts and handle HK$600 million (US$76 million) in allegedly illicit proceeds.
Police said on Sunday that they had conducted a citywide operation, code-named “Rapidhorse”, over the previous two days against the syndicate allegedly operating drug and illegal gambling dens in Kowloon and the New Territories.
The operation involved undercover detectives, the force added.
Acting senior superintendent Au Yeung Tak of the organised crime and triad bureau said the syndicate had been operating illicit drug and gambling-related activities in Hong Kong and attempting to launder the proceeds through local bank accounts.
“Although the ringleader had remained behind the scenes and the core members had acted cautiously, police were still able to dismantle the syndicate,” Au Yeung said.
“Besides targeting drug and illegal gambling activities, we also managed to trace the criminal funds and dismantle the syndicate’s financial network from the top down.”
During the operation, the force raided the group’s “stooge account coordination centre”, a “money-laundering centre”, four drug dens and eight gambling dens.
Police also arrested 147 people – 93 men and 54 women, aged between 19 and 72 – including the syndicate’s alleged mastermind, nine core members and 12 other affiliates.
Thirty-one of those arrested were suspected of having triad backgrounds, according to Au Yeung.
Police also seized assets worth about HK$5 million, comprising HK$3.65 million in cash and other items worth HK$1.3 million. The items included vehicles, jewellery, luxury watches, weapons, drugs and gambling equipment.
The group had allegedly laundered nearly HK$600 million in illicit proceeds between January 2025 and August 2026.
Acting superintendent Ho Yan-kit of the bureau said the group had established a highly developed financial network with a clear division of labour.
Members had long recruited drug abusers, gamblers and people seeking quick cash to act as stooge account holders at premises operated by the group, offering them incentives ranging from hundreds to thousands of Hong Kong dollars.

The recruits were then taken to the account coordination centre in Tsuen Wan, where they opened online bank accounts and underwent identity verification.
The login details for these accounts were then passed to a money-laundering centre in Wong Tai Sin, where designated members conducted frequent transactions to launder the group’s illicit proceeds.
“According to our investigation, the leader of the ring had been highly vigilant. He never appeared at the group’s premises or handled the proceeds in person,” Ho said.
“Instead, he gave instructions through trusted middlemen to evade police detection.”
Ho added that cash proceeds were broken down into small amounts and deposited into stooge accounts through automated teller machines. The money was then laundered before being transferred to accounts belonging to the ringleader and his relatives.
During the initial phase of the operation, police targeted the account coordination centre run by the syndicate, where they arrested two group members and five suspected stooge account holders, Chief Inspector Lo Man-fai of the bureau said.
Police then raided the money-laundering centre, where they found 56 bank cards that did not belong to those arrested.
The force subsequently arrested 20 other group members, including the alleged mastermind, across the city. More than 100 vape cartridges containing the illegal drug etomidate, along with HK$3.1 million in cash, jewellery and luxury watches, were found in their homes.
In the second phase, police searched the four drug dens and eight gambling places operated by the syndicate, arresting 116 people.
All those arrested remained in custody, Lo said.
Au Yeung urged the public to protect their personal data and not to lend, rent out or sell their bank account details.
“Please do not become the criminals’ accomplices for minor benefits or facilitate their illicit activities,” he said.
“Once an account is used for money laundering, the account holder may also be committing a crime.”
Separately, police said that a multi-day anti-triad operation, code-named “Flowingshade”, had resulted in the arrest of 429 people, including two suspected illegal immigrants, since Thursday.
Officers seized HK$3.7 million in cash, gambling equipment, knives, cigarettes and a variety of illicit drugs with a total value yet to be determined.


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(From left): The bureau’s Ho Yan-kit, Au Yeung Tak and Lo Man-fai display some of the evidence seized. Photo: Jonathan Wong

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Hong Kong

Law and Crime

Force arrests 147 people after conducting a citywide operation code-named ‘Rapidhorse’


Force arrests 147 people after conducting a citywide operation code-named ‘Rapidhorse’.


Police dismantle alleged triad group that ran account centres to launder HK$600 million

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Force arrests 147 people after conducting a citywide operation code-named ‘Rapidhorse’

Force arrests 147 people after conducting a citywide operation code-named ‘Rapidhorse’