The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) issued a  circular  today to urge licensed corporations and virtual asset trading platforms (collectively known as “licensed firms”) to stay vigilant against suspicious fund flows showing signs of layering activities in money laundering. In the circular, the SFC highlights a rising trend in which bad actors exploit licensed firms for layering activities, with some attempting to launder illicit proceeds from deception and scam cases,

The Immigration Department (ImmD) mounted a joint operation codenamed "Flashspear 2025" with Guangdong Provincial Public Security Department on November 17. The operation successfully neutralised a cross-boundary bogus marriage syndicate. During the operation, officers from the Outside Investigation Section of the ImmD raided two residential units. Two Hong Kong residents - one man and one woman, aged 43 and 57 - were arrested. The arrested persons were believed to be the mas

The Lianlian DigiTech Co Ltd (Lianlian DigiTech), a leading Mainland digital payment solutions provider, established its overseas business headquarters in Hong Kong today (November 18), leveraging the city's pivotal role as a "super connector" and "super value-adder" between the Chinese Mainland and the world to expand globally.      The Deputy Financial Secretary, Mr Michael Wong, delivered a speech at the opening ceremony and officiated the event with the Secretary for Fin

Hong Kong Customs mounted an anti-illicit cigarette enforcement operation today (November 19) and raided three suspected illicit cigarette sales outlets, including two newsstands in Kwai Fong and Tsuen Wan, as well as one store in Tsuen Wan, seizing a total of about 3 800 suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $17,000 and a duty potential of about $13,000. Three persons were arrested.      According to the amended Dutiable Commodities Ordinance

​The Department of Health (DH) announced today (November 20) that, starting from January 1, 2026, it will launch a pilot programme to streamline the evaluation and approval process for proprietary Chinese medicines (pCm) registration applications. Along with the existing processing procedures, two new tiers will be introduced, namely "Innovative Drugs" and "Designated Priority Products", with specified target processing times. The new arrangement aims to expedite processing o

Hong Kong Customs conducted a three-week enforcement operation codenamed "Nunchaku" from October 20 to November 14 to specifically combat counterfeit and infringing goods activities involving cross-boundary transshipments and local deliveries during the Double 11 Festival shopping period. During the operation, Customs detected 29 related cases and seized a total of 120 000 suspected counterfeit goods, with a total estimated market value of about $65 million. Amid the hug

A money service operator license holder was convicted by the Eastern Magistrates' Courts on November 4 for failing to comply with customer due diligence and record-keeping requirements, and providing false or misleading documents to Customs officers under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance (Ordinance). The company was fined a total of $328,000, the highest fine on record among similar cases.      During a compliance inspection in March last y

Hong Kong Customs detected two suspected smuggling cases involving ocean-going vessels on October 27 and 31. Large batches of suspected smuggled goods with a total estimated market value of about $64 million were seized. Through intelligence analysis and risk assessment, Customs discovered that criminals intended to use ocean-going vessels to smuggle goods. Enforcement operations were thus formulated, with two suspicious containers selected for inspection. Customs inspected a

Hong Kong Customs yesterday (November 12) raided a suspected illicit cigarette storage centre in Kwai Chung and seized about 240 000 suspected illicit cigarettes with an estimated market value of about $1.08 million and a duty potential of about $790,000. Five persons suspected to be connected with the case were arrested. Through intelligence analysis and after a thorough investigation, Customs discovered that a cigarette smuggling syndicate had been using hotel rooms as illi