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In November, officers of the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) attended the conclusion meetings of two transnational operations organised by the INTERPOL. The meetings were held online and coordinated by Superintendent Cheung Ting-fung, who is on secondment to the INTERPOL General Secretariat in Lyon, France.
On November 9, officers from the Commercial Crime Bureau, the Cyber Security and Technology Crime Bureau (CSTCB), the Financial Intelligence and Investigation Bureau and the Liaison Bureau attended the conclusion meeting of Operation “HAECHI-II”. The operation was mounted between May and September 2021 to combat cyber-enabled financial crime and money laundering. In the meeting, the INTERPOL summarised the operation results and outlined the latest trends of the targeted crimes. Chief Inspector of CSTCB Au Yeung Hau-ying introduced the new modus operandi of the online investment fraud discovered by the HKPF during the operation and shared the corresponding enforcement results.
On November 10, officers from the Organized Crime and Triad Bureau (OCTB) attended the 23rd meeting of the INTERPOL Asia-Pacific Expert Group on Organized Crime (APEG) cum the conclusion meeting of Operation “SOGA-VIII”. During the meeting, Chief Superintendent of OCTB Wong Wai gave an opening speech as the Chairman of the expert group. He said, “Although the COVID-19 pandemic has impeded our ability to meet in person throughout Operation ‘SOGA VIII’, this has not hindered our capability to tackle illegal gambling and associated money laundering crimes in a collective manner.” The APEG was established in 2006 by HKPF officers seconded to INTERPOL with the aim of connecting crime officers in the Asia-Pacific region for combating transnational organised crimes. Operation “SOGA-VIII” was conducted with the main objective to interdict illegal football gambling activities through international collaboration. The operation was mounted during the period of UEFA EURO in 2021, with the participation of 28 INTERPOL member countries. The HKPF spared no effort in the operation and arrested over 800 suspects and seized nearly US$2.7 million. In the conclusion meeting, Chief Inspector of OCTB Cheung Siu-lok shared the fruitful enforcement results achieved by the HKPF during the operation.
