A A
B B
DCCC 495/2025
C [2026] HKDC 247 C
D D
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE
E HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION E
CRIMINAL CASE NO 495 OF 2025
F F
G ———————— G
HKSAR
H H
v
I WU JING I
————————
J J
K Before: His Honour Judge Tam in Court K
Date: 6 February 2026
L L
Present: Ms Yue Percy P S, Counsel on fiat, for HKSAR
M Mr Chan Ging Man Robert, Counsel instructed by Messrs M
C O Yu & Co., assigned by Director of Legal Aid
N N
Offence: Dealing with property known or believed to represent
O proceeds of an indictable offence （處理已知道或相信為代 O
P 表從可公訴罪行的得益的財產） P
Q Q
————————————————
R REASONS FOR SENTENCE R
————————————————
S S
T 1. Mr Wu pleaded guilty before me to one charge of Dealing T
with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable
U U
V V
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A A
B B
offence, contrary to section 25(1) and (3) of the Organized and Serious
C Crimes Ordinance, Cap 455. Particulars are that he, between 7 August C
2024 and 23 December 2024, both dates inclusive, in Hong Kong, together
D D
with other person(s), knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that
E property, namely a total sum of $250,000 United States currency, and E
$2,100 Hong Kong currency, in the bank account with Dah Sing Bank
F F
Limited held in the name of Pudu Limited, account number 625018230578,
G in whole or in part directly or indirectly represented any person’s proceeds G
of an indictable offence, dealt with the said property.
H H
I Facts admitted by Mr Wu I
J J
2. On 27 September 2024, a sum of USD250,000 was remitted
K from overseas to a bank account held in the name of Pudu Limited and K
numbered 625018230578 with Dah Sing Bank Limited (“the Account”).
L L
M 3. The opening mandate and records of the Account showed: M
N N
(a) The Account was opened on 6 August 2024 and it was
O a multi-currency account; O
P P
(b) Mr Wu was the sole signatory of the Account;
Q Q
R
(c) E-banking service was applied for; R
S S
(d) Transactions in USD and HKD were recorded between
T
7 August 2024 and 27 September 2024 with the T
following details:
U U
V V
-3-
A A
B B
C (i) There were no transactions in USD between 7 C
August and 26 September 2024 and there were
D D
no transactions in HKD between 7 August and
E 22 September 2024; E
F F
(ii) A sum of HKD800 and a sum of HKD1,300 were
G transferred to the Account by way of FPS on 23 G
and 26 September 2024 respectively; a sum of
H H
HKD166 was transferred out through E-banking
I on 25 September 2024; I
J J
(iii) A sum of USD250,000 was remitted into the
K Account on 27 September 2024 and on the same K
day a sum of USD249,990 (equivalent to
L L
HKD1,941,131.10) was then exchanged to
M HKD; M
N N
(iv) A total sum of HKD1,940,000 was transferred
O out by E-banking by 4 separate transactions on O
27 September 2024;
P P
Q Q
(v) No other transactions were recorded between 28
R
September and 23 December 2024; and R
S S
(vi) As at the date of closing of the Account, ie 23
T
December 2024, the balance of the Account T
remained at USD1 and HKD2,697.10.
U U
V V
-4-
A A
B B
C 4. On 6 December 2024, Mr Wu was intercepted when he C
entered Hong Kong through Lowu Control Point. He was arrested and
D D
cautioned.
E E
5. In the subsequent interview, Mr Wu admitted under caution
F F
that:
G G
(a) In around August 2024, his friend told him that he could
H H
gain a reward of HKD3,000 for opening a bank account
I in Hong Kong; I
J J
(b) He met an unknown man, whom he did not have any
K means to contact, in Shenzhen a day before going to K
Hong Kong; they came to Hong Kong together to open
L L
the Account;
M M
(c) He attended a bank to open the Account and he signed
N N
all the documents as directed;
O O
(d) All the signatures shown on the account opening
P P
mandate were his signatures;
Q Q
R
(e) The copy identity documents enclosed with the opening R
mandate came from his identity documents; and
S S
T
(f) He did not have control over the Account. T
U U
V V
-5-
A A
B B
6. Immigration record showed Mr Wu entered and left Hong
C Kong respectively at 8:09 am and 4:57 pm on 6 August 2024. C
D D
7. Mr Wu now admits that he together with other person(s)
E knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that the property E
specified under the charge, in whole or in part directly or indirectly
F F
represented proceeds of an indictable offence, dealt with the said property.
G G
Criminal record
H H
I 8. Mr Wu has a clear record in Hong Kong. I
J J
Antecedents
K K
9. Mr Wu is aged 38 (37 at the time of the offence), a Mainlander
L L
and a pharmaceutical warehouse worker. Mr Wu was living in Jiangsu
M Province. M
N N
Mitigation
O O
10. Mr Robert Chan of counsel assigned by the Director of Legal
P P
Aid mitigated on behalf of Mr Wu. The following is a summary of the
Q Q
mitigation submissions.
R R
11. Mr Wu had no idea about any of the banking transactions in
S S
the account. However, he confirms he knew the account would be
T
receiving monies which he had reason to believe were proceeds of crime. T
U U
V V
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A A
B B
12. Mr Wu is educated to college level. He is divorced, has a son
C now aged 9. He had been employed as a warehouse worker in the C
Mainland, earning about RMB5,000 a month.
D D
E 13. Mr Wu has a clear record in Hong Kong. E
F F
14. Money laundering is a serious offence carrying a maximum
G imprisonment sentence of 14 years. G
H H
15. As said by the Court of Appeal in HKSAR v Boma [2012] 2
I HKLRD 33, there is no sentencing guideline for money laundering I
offences. However, the Court did provide a list of relevant sentencing
J J
factors for consideration, at para 40.
K K
16. In HKSAR v Hsu Yu Yi [2010] 5 HKLRD 545, the Court of
L L
Appeal pointed out at para 13 a number of factors, including that it was the
M amount of money involved, not the amount of benefit received by a M
defendant, which is a major sentencing consideration. Further, a
N N
defendant’s level of participation is relevant, as is the length of time the
O offence lasted. The Court also set out the amounts of money involved in O
the sentences imposed in a number of money laundering cases in the past.
P P
A starting point of 3 years or so was taken when the black money involved
Q Q
was between HK$1m and HK$2m. This range was confirmed by the Court
R
in HKSAR v Wan Kwok Keung [2012] 1 HKLRD 201 at para 15. R
S S
17. In the present case, Mr Wu thought he could make quick
T
money of HK$3,000 by coming to Hong Kong to open the account. There T
was no planning on his part. He just did as he had been directed, entering
U U
V V
-7-
A A
B B
Hong Kong on 6 August 2024, and signing the relevant paperwork at the
C bank to open the account. The account was held in the name of Pudu C
Limited. From the company’s records, Pudu Limited was incorporated in
D D
Hong Kong on 22 July 2024, and Mr Wu was the only director and one of
E the two founder members (Mr Wu had 99% shareholding). Before Mr Wu E
came to Hong Kong to open the account, he provided his personal
F F
particulars to somebody for the purpose of opening a company for trading
G purposes. Mr Wu did not know the name of Pudu Limited until he reached G
the bank in Hong Kong to open the account.
H H
I 18. Mr Wu did not use the account at all. It was his friend (or I
perhaps someone on his behalf, eg the unknown man who accompanied
J J
him to open the account) who operated the account. Mr Wu therefore did
K not know who had deposited money into the account, or even where any K
part of the withdrawn money had gone.
L L
M 19. There is no evidence of any predicate offence or criminal M
syndicate. Nor was there any international element (despite much of the
N N
tainted money being USD). Further, it cannot be said that the money
O laundering involved elaborate steps or (fraudulent) schemes. There were a O
relatively small number of transactions. The total deposits in terms of
P P
HKD amount to HK$1,943,308.75. The actual money laundering occurred
Q over the course of a few days (in September 2024). Mr Wu’s role was Q
R
limited to coming to Hong Kong to open the account, which was for R
someone else to use. Mr Wu went back home to the Mainland on the same
S S
day he opened the account.
T T
U U
V V
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A A
B B
20. Mr Wu did not receive any of the tainted money in the account
C or any reward/ remuneration for opening the account. C
D D
21. Mr Wu asks for leniency. He regrets his action, and wishes to
E rejoin his young son and lead a law-abiding life after serving his sentence. E
F F
22. Mr Chan invited the court to take a starting point no higher
G than 3 years’ imprisonment and asked for the customary one-third discount G
for timely guilty plea.
H H
I 23. Mr Chan will not oppose the sentence enhancement request of I
the prosecution. However, it was submitted that the quantum of
J J
enhancement should not be more than 20%, having regard to previous
K cases involving stooges (ie people who lent or sold their bank accounts to K
criminals without further involvement). Mr Chan cited three District Court
L L
sentencing cases in support, namely:
M M
(a) HKSAR v Xiang Juan [2024] HKDC 512, paras 13-17,
N N
21-25;
O O
(b) HKSAR v Zhang Hongping [2025] HKDC 603, para 17;
P P
and
Q Q
R
(c) HKSAR v Chan Ho Yin & Anor [2025] HKDC 1900, R
paras 19, 20, 23, 24, 27.
S S
T
24. On behalf of Mr Wu, Mr Chan submitted a mitigation letter T
written in Chinese (with English translation) by Mr Wu himself. The
U U
V V
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A A
B B
contents are generally that he committed the offence out of greed and
C ignorance; that he is regretful and remorseful and promises never to re- C
offend. Mr Wu asked for a chance for reform and a lenient sentence.
D D
E 25. Upon invitation by the court, Mr Chan submitted that coming E
to Hong Kong specifically to open a bank account for future money
F F
laundering activities should not be treated as an aggravating factor because
G the offence was not yet completed. G
H H
Sentence
I I
26. For the factors which Mr Chan has garnered on behalf of Mr
J J
Wu, I am minded to take a lowish starting point in this case. I am
K particularly influenced by the fact that the transactions (which were few) K
took place only on a few days in September 2024. The initial starting point
L L
that I shall adopt in Mr Wu’s case is 2 years 9 months’ imprisonment.
M M
27. However, I cannot ignore the fact that Mr Wu came to Hong
N N
Kong on 6 August 2024 specifically to open the bank account which later
O became the instrument for money laundering. For this, I shall add 3 months O
to reach a final starting point of 3 years’ imprisonment.
P P
Q Q
28. Mr Wu pleaded guilty in good time earning for himself the
R
full 1/3 sentencing discount. There are no other mitigating factors of R
weight to justify another sentence reduction.
S S
T T
U U
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A A
B B
29. Prosecution applied to furnish information under section
C 27(2) of OSCO, Cap 455. Defence has no objection. I duly received the C
statement of CIP Li Yiu Nam dated 22 January 2026.
D D
E 30. By notice of intention under OSCO, prosecution sought for an E
enhanced sentence on Mr Wu on two bases, namely:
F F
G (a) Prevalence of money laundering offence; and G
H H
(b) The nature and extent of any harm, whether direct or
I indirect, caused to the community by recent I
occurrences of money laundering offence.
J J
K 31. Mr Chan does not oppose enhancement of sentence but K
submitted that the extent of enhancement should not be over 20%.
L L
M 32. On the subject of prevalence, in Table A on page 5 of the M
statement, it is said that the number of stooges (those who allow others to
N N
use their newly-opened or existing accounts for money laundering
O purpose) arrested in year 2024 stood at 7,883 while the corresponding O
figure (projected) for year 2025 stood at 5,482. Whilst this represented a
P P
drop of 30%, the absolute figure is still a substantial one when compared
Q Q
with the absolute figures over past few years (rising from 760 in year 2020
R
steadily to a crest of 7,883 in year 2024). R
S S
33. I am satisfied the use of stooges in money laundering and by
T
implication the offence of money laundering is still prevalent in 2025. T
U U
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A A
B B
34. On the subject of harm, in Table B on pages 6-7 of the
C statement, it is said that the amount of reported losses in local deception C
cases (detected with arrest) involving subsequent money laundering of
D D
crime proceeds came to $2,429.63M (projected) for the whole of year
E 2025; that in the same year (projected for the full year) the amount of E
reported losses in both local and overseas deception cases and/or proceeds
F F
laundered locally (all types only those cases detected with arrest) involving
G local stooge accounts came to $2,010.46M. G
H H
35. One can see that the two amounts stated in the foregoing
I paragraph are huge numbers. I
J J
36. Harm to the community is not restricted to the amount of
K reported losses in local deception cases. K
L L
37. According to para 18 of the statement, the anti-money
M laundering regime in Hong Kong is hampered by the Prevalence of Stooge M
Accounts (“PSA”) for money laundering activities in that:
N N
O (a) PSA interferes with the normal operation of the O
banking system, having a negative effect on the
P P
reputation of Hong Kong as a well-known international
Q Q
financial hub;
R R
(b) PSA forms multiple layers of “shields” concealing the
S S
identity of the masterminds behind, making it difficult,
T
if not impossible, for police to identify the masterminds T
behind;
U U
V V
- 12 -
A A
B B
C (c) PSA substantially facilitates the commission of crimes C
and in turn leads to more crimes being committed, as
D D
the mastermind[s] could easily get away from their
E criminal liability; E
F F
(d) PSA makes money laundering easier, which allows
G culprits to make use of their ill-gotten gains to extend G
their sphere to engage in a wider range of illegal
H H
activities;
I I
(e) PSA means that law enforcement agencies have to put
J J
in more investigation efforts and resources; and
K K
(f) People with low income or less awareness of the
L L
consequences of selling their bank accounts are more
M likely to be lured by the culprits to take the risks of M
commission of crimes to surrender their accounts for
N N
monetary reward.
O O
38. Because of the huge amount in the year 2025 of reported
P P
losses (overseas and local) and/or proceeds laundered locally involving
Q Q
local stooge accounts, I can readily infer PSA for recent money laundering
R
activities. R
S S
39. It is apparent from para 18 of the statement that PSA is another
T
source of harm to the community. Together with the amount of reported T
losses in local deception cases in 2025, it can therefore not be gainsaid that
U U
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- 13 -
A A
B B
the harm caused to the community by recent occurrences of money
C laundering offence must be substantial. C
D D
40. I am satisfied that my sentence enhancement power is
E engaged under section 27(11) of OSCO, Cap 455, under both the E
prevalence basis and the harm basis. I am of the view that a 20%
F F
enhancement is sufficient to pose as the extra deterrence needed given the
G state of the statistics. As an act of mercy, I shall discard the decimal places G
after calculation of sentence in terms of months.
H H
I (Mr Wu, please stand) I
J J
41. The sentence is 28 months’ imprisonment.
K K
L L
M ( Isaac Tam ) M
District Judge
N N
O O
P P
Q Q
R R
S S
T T
U U
V V
A A
B B
DCCC 495/2025
C [2026] HKDC 247 C
D D
IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE
E HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION E
CRIMINAL CASE NO 495 OF 2025
F F
G ———————— G
HKSAR
H H
v
I WU JING I
————————
J J
K Before: His Honour Judge Tam in Court K
Date: 6 February 2026
L L
Present: Ms Yue Percy P S, Counsel on fiat, for HKSAR
M Mr Chan Ging Man Robert, Counsel instructed by Messrs M
C O Yu & Co., assigned by Director of Legal Aid
N N
Offence: Dealing with property known or believed to represent
O proceeds of an indictable offence （處理已知道或相信為代 O
P 表從可公訴罪行的得益的財產） P
Q Q
————————————————
R REASONS FOR SENTENCE R
————————————————
S S
T 1. Mr Wu pleaded guilty before me to one charge of Dealing T
with property known or believed to represent proceeds of an indictable
U U
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A A
B B
offence, contrary to section 25(1) and (3) of the Organized and Serious
C Crimes Ordinance, Cap 455. Particulars are that he, between 7 August C
2024 and 23 December 2024, both dates inclusive, in Hong Kong, together
D D
with other person(s), knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that
E property, namely a total sum of $250,000 United States currency, and E
$2,100 Hong Kong currency, in the bank account with Dah Sing Bank
F F
Limited held in the name of Pudu Limited, account number 625018230578,
G in whole or in part directly or indirectly represented any person’s proceeds G
of an indictable offence, dealt with the said property.
H H
I Facts admitted by Mr Wu I
J J
2. On 27 September 2024, a sum of USD250,000 was remitted
K from overseas to a bank account held in the name of Pudu Limited and K
numbered 625018230578 with Dah Sing Bank Limited (“the Account”).
L L
M 3. The opening mandate and records of the Account showed: M
N N
(a) The Account was opened on 6 August 2024 and it was
O a multi-currency account; O
P P
(b) Mr Wu was the sole signatory of the Account;
Q Q
R
(c) E-banking service was applied for; R
S S
(d) Transactions in USD and HKD were recorded between
T
7 August 2024 and 27 September 2024 with the T
following details:
U U
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-3-
A A
B B
C (i) There were no transactions in USD between 7 C
August and 26 September 2024 and there were
D D
no transactions in HKD between 7 August and
E 22 September 2024; E
F F
(ii) A sum of HKD800 and a sum of HKD1,300 were
G transferred to the Account by way of FPS on 23 G
and 26 September 2024 respectively; a sum of
H H
HKD166 was transferred out through E-banking
I on 25 September 2024; I
J J
(iii) A sum of USD250,000 was remitted into the
K Account on 27 September 2024 and on the same K
day a sum of USD249,990 (equivalent to
L L
HKD1,941,131.10) was then exchanged to
M HKD; M
N N
(iv) A total sum of HKD1,940,000 was transferred
O out by E-banking by 4 separate transactions on O
27 September 2024;
P P
Q Q
(v) No other transactions were recorded between 28
R
September and 23 December 2024; and R
S S
(vi) As at the date of closing of the Account, ie 23
T
December 2024, the balance of the Account T
remained at USD1 and HKD2,697.10.
U U
V V
-4-
A A
B B
C 4. On 6 December 2024, Mr Wu was intercepted when he C
entered Hong Kong through Lowu Control Point. He was arrested and
D D
cautioned.
E E
5. In the subsequent interview, Mr Wu admitted under caution
F F
that:
G G
(a) In around August 2024, his friend told him that he could
H H
gain a reward of HKD3,000 for opening a bank account
I in Hong Kong; I
J J
(b) He met an unknown man, whom he did not have any
K means to contact, in Shenzhen a day before going to K
Hong Kong; they came to Hong Kong together to open
L L
the Account;
M M
(c) He attended a bank to open the Account and he signed
N N
all the documents as directed;
O O
(d) All the signatures shown on the account opening
P P
mandate were his signatures;
Q Q
R
(e) The copy identity documents enclosed with the opening R
mandate came from his identity documents; and
S S
T
(f) He did not have control over the Account. T
U U
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-5-
A A
B B
6. Immigration record showed Mr Wu entered and left Hong
C Kong respectively at 8:09 am and 4:57 pm on 6 August 2024. C
D D
7. Mr Wu now admits that he together with other person(s)
E knowing or having reasonable grounds to believe that the property E
specified under the charge, in whole or in part directly or indirectly
F F
represented proceeds of an indictable offence, dealt with the said property.
G G
Criminal record
H H
I 8. Mr Wu has a clear record in Hong Kong. I
J J
Antecedents
K K
9. Mr Wu is aged 38 (37 at the time of the offence), a Mainlander
L L
and a pharmaceutical warehouse worker. Mr Wu was living in Jiangsu
M Province. M
N N
Mitigation
O O
10. Mr Robert Chan of counsel assigned by the Director of Legal
P P
Aid mitigated on behalf of Mr Wu. The following is a summary of the
Q Q
mitigation submissions.
R R
11. Mr Wu had no idea about any of the banking transactions in
S S
the account. However, he confirms he knew the account would be
T
receiving monies which he had reason to believe were proceeds of crime. T
U U
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-6-
A A
B B
12. Mr Wu is educated to college level. He is divorced, has a son
C now aged 9. He had been employed as a warehouse worker in the C
Mainland, earning about RMB5,000 a month.
D D
E 13. Mr Wu has a clear record in Hong Kong. E
F F
14. Money laundering is a serious offence carrying a maximum
G imprisonment sentence of 14 years. G
H H
15. As said by the Court of Appeal in HKSAR v Boma [2012] 2
I HKLRD 33, there is no sentencing guideline for money laundering I
offences. However, the Court did provide a list of relevant sentencing
J J
factors for consideration, at para 40.
K K
16. In HKSAR v Hsu Yu Yi [2010] 5 HKLRD 545, the Court of
L L
Appeal pointed out at para 13 a number of factors, including that it was the
M amount of money involved, not the amount of benefit received by a M
defendant, which is a major sentencing consideration. Further, a
N N
defendant’s level of participation is relevant, as is the length of time the
O offence lasted. The Court also set out the amounts of money involved in O
the sentences imposed in a number of money laundering cases in the past.
P P
A starting point of 3 years or so was taken when the black money involved
Q Q
was between HK$1m and HK$2m. This range was confirmed by the Court
R
in HKSAR v Wan Kwok Keung [2012] 1 HKLRD 201 at para 15. R
S S
17. In the present case, Mr Wu thought he could make quick
T
money of HK$3,000 by coming to Hong Kong to open the account. There T
was no planning on his part. He just did as he had been directed, entering
U U
V V
-7-
A A
B B
Hong Kong on 6 August 2024, and signing the relevant paperwork at the
C bank to open the account. The account was held in the name of Pudu C
Limited. From the company’s records, Pudu Limited was incorporated in
D D
Hong Kong on 22 July 2024, and Mr Wu was the only director and one of
E the two founder members (Mr Wu had 99% shareholding). Before Mr Wu E
came to Hong Kong to open the account, he provided his personal
F F
particulars to somebody for the purpose of opening a company for trading
G purposes. Mr Wu did not know the name of Pudu Limited until he reached G
the bank in Hong Kong to open the account.
H H
I 18. Mr Wu did not use the account at all. It was his friend (or I
perhaps someone on his behalf, eg the unknown man who accompanied
J J
him to open the account) who operated the account. Mr Wu therefore did
K not know who had deposited money into the account, or even where any K
part of the withdrawn money had gone.
L L
M 19. There is no evidence of any predicate offence or criminal M
syndicate. Nor was there any international element (despite much of the
N N
tainted money being USD). Further, it cannot be said that the money
O laundering involved elaborate steps or (fraudulent) schemes. There were a O
relatively small number of transactions. The total deposits in terms of
P P
HKD amount to HK$1,943,308.75. The actual money laundering occurred
Q over the course of a few days (in September 2024). Mr Wu’s role was Q
R
limited to coming to Hong Kong to open the account, which was for R
someone else to use. Mr Wu went back home to the Mainland on the same
S S
day he opened the account.
T T
U U
V V
-8-
A A
B B
20. Mr Wu did not receive any of the tainted money in the account
C or any reward/ remuneration for opening the account. C
D D
21. Mr Wu asks for leniency. He regrets his action, and wishes to
E rejoin his young son and lead a law-abiding life after serving his sentence. E
F F
22. Mr Chan invited the court to take a starting point no higher
G than 3 years’ imprisonment and asked for the customary one-third discount G
for timely guilty plea.
H H
I 23. Mr Chan will not oppose the sentence enhancement request of I
the prosecution. However, it was submitted that the quantum of
J J
enhancement should not be more than 20%, having regard to previous
K cases involving stooges (ie people who lent or sold their bank accounts to K
criminals without further involvement). Mr Chan cited three District Court
L L
sentencing cases in support, namely:
M M
(a) HKSAR v Xiang Juan [2024] HKDC 512, paras 13-17,
N N
21-25;
O O
(b) HKSAR v Zhang Hongping [2025] HKDC 603, para 17;
P P
and
Q Q
R
(c) HKSAR v Chan Ho Yin & Anor [2025] HKDC 1900, R
paras 19, 20, 23, 24, 27.
S S
T
24. On behalf of Mr Wu, Mr Chan submitted a mitigation letter T
written in Chinese (with English translation) by Mr Wu himself. The
U U
V V
-9-
A A
B B
contents are generally that he committed the offence out of greed and
C ignorance; that he is regretful and remorseful and promises never to re- C
offend. Mr Wu asked for a chance for reform and a lenient sentence.
D D
E 25. Upon invitation by the court, Mr Chan submitted that coming E
to Hong Kong specifically to open a bank account for future money
F F
laundering activities should not be treated as an aggravating factor because
G the offence was not yet completed. G
H H
Sentence
I I
26. For the factors which Mr Chan has garnered on behalf of Mr
J J
Wu, I am minded to take a lowish starting point in this case. I am
K particularly influenced by the fact that the transactions (which were few) K
took place only on a few days in September 2024. The initial starting point
L L
that I shall adopt in Mr Wu’s case is 2 years 9 months’ imprisonment.
M M
27. However, I cannot ignore the fact that Mr Wu came to Hong
N N
Kong on 6 August 2024 specifically to open the bank account which later
O became the instrument for money laundering. For this, I shall add 3 months O
to reach a final starting point of 3 years’ imprisonment.
P P
Q Q
28. Mr Wu pleaded guilty in good time earning for himself the
R
full 1/3 sentencing discount. There are no other mitigating factors of R
weight to justify another sentence reduction.
S S
T T
U U
V V
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A A
B B
29. Prosecution applied to furnish information under section
C 27(2) of OSCO, Cap 455. Defence has no objection. I duly received the C
statement of CIP Li Yiu Nam dated 22 January 2026.
D D
E 30. By notice of intention under OSCO, prosecution sought for an E
enhanced sentence on Mr Wu on two bases, namely:
F F
G (a) Prevalence of money laundering offence; and G
H H
(b) The nature and extent of any harm, whether direct or
I indirect, caused to the community by recent I
occurrences of money laundering offence.
J J
K 31. Mr Chan does not oppose enhancement of sentence but K
submitted that the extent of enhancement should not be over 20%.
L L
M 32. On the subject of prevalence, in Table A on page 5 of the M
statement, it is said that the number of stooges (those who allow others to
N N
use their newly-opened or existing accounts for money laundering
O purpose) arrested in year 2024 stood at 7,883 while the corresponding O
figure (projected) for year 2025 stood at 5,482. Whilst this represented a
P P
drop of 30%, the absolute figure is still a substantial one when compared
Q Q
with the absolute figures over past few years (rising from 760 in year 2020
R
steadily to a crest of 7,883 in year 2024). R
S S
33. I am satisfied the use of stooges in money laundering and by
T
implication the offence of money laundering is still prevalent in 2025. T
U U
V V
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A A
B B
34. On the subject of harm, in Table B on pages 6-7 of the
C statement, it is said that the amount of reported losses in local deception C
cases (detected with arrest) involving subsequent money laundering of
D D
crime proceeds came to $2,429.63M (projected) for the whole of year
E 2025; that in the same year (projected for the full year) the amount of E
reported losses in both local and overseas deception cases and/or proceeds
F F
laundered locally (all types only those cases detected with arrest) involving
G local stooge accounts came to $2,010.46M. G
H H
35. One can see that the two amounts stated in the foregoing
I paragraph are huge numbers. I
J J
36. Harm to the community is not restricted to the amount of
K reported losses in local deception cases. K
L L
37. According to para 18 of the statement, the anti-money
M laundering regime in Hong Kong is hampered by the Prevalence of Stooge M
Accounts (“PSA”) for money laundering activities in that:
N N
O (a) PSA interferes with the normal operation of the O
banking system, having a negative effect on the
P P
reputation of Hong Kong as a well-known international
Q Q
financial hub;
R R
(b) PSA forms multiple layers of “shields” concealing the
S S
identity of the masterminds behind, making it difficult,
T
if not impossible, for police to identify the masterminds T
behind;
U U
V V
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A A
B B
C (c) PSA substantially facilitates the commission of crimes C
and in turn leads to more crimes being committed, as
D D
the mastermind[s] could easily get away from their
E criminal liability; E
F F
(d) PSA makes money laundering easier, which allows
G culprits to make use of their ill-gotten gains to extend G
their sphere to engage in a wider range of illegal
H H
activities;
I I
(e) PSA means that law enforcement agencies have to put
J J
in more investigation efforts and resources; and
K K
(f) People with low income or less awareness of the
L L
consequences of selling their bank accounts are more
M likely to be lured by the culprits to take the risks of M
commission of crimes to surrender their accounts for
N N
monetary reward.
O O
38. Because of the huge amount in the year 2025 of reported
P P
losses (overseas and local) and/or proceeds laundered locally involving
Q Q
local stooge accounts, I can readily infer PSA for recent money laundering
R
activities. R
S S
39. It is apparent from para 18 of the statement that PSA is another
T
source of harm to the community. Together with the amount of reported T
losses in local deception cases in 2025, it can therefore not be gainsaid that
U U
V V
- 13 -
A A
B B
the harm caused to the community by recent occurrences of money
C laundering offence must be substantial. C
D D
40. I am satisfied that my sentence enhancement power is
E engaged under section 27(11) of OSCO, Cap 455, under both the E
prevalence basis and the harm basis. I am of the view that a 20%
F F
enhancement is sufficient to pose as the extra deterrence needed given the
G state of the statistics. As an act of mercy, I shall discard the decimal places G
after calculation of sentence in terms of months.
H H
I (Mr Wu, please stand) I
J J
41. The sentence is 28 months’ imprisonment.
K K
L L
M ( Isaac Tam ) M
District Judge
N N
O O
P P
Q Q
R R
S S
T T
U U
V V