Hong Kong Customs conducted an operation against unlicensed money change shops in April 2022. During the operation, it was discovered that the two men and women involved in a money change shop in Kwun Tong were still in the shop after the money service provider license application for the money change shop was rejected. Operates money transfer services. Therefore, on April 20 of the same year, a customs officer disguised himself as a customer and asked a man in the store to remit 2,000 yuan to the mainland. The man replied to the customs officer with the relevant exchange rate and the amount of Hong Kong dollars required. After receiving the relevant Hong Kong dollars, he provided the customs officer with a A receipt with remittance information. The woman involved in the case was the owner of a money change shop. Customs officers questioned the two men and women involved on suspicion of operating money services without a license and searched the money change shop.
After investigation, customs officers discovered that after becoming the owner of a money exchange shop, the woman had provided 14 remittance services to the mainland to a customer. In March this year, customs officers issued summonses and charged two people with one count and 15 counts respectively. One count of operating money services without a license. Today (13th), two people were convicted of one and 15 counts of operating money services without a license at the Kwun Tong Magistrates' Court today (13th). The male defendant was sentenced to 50 days of immediate imprisonment; the female defendant was sentenced to 33 days of imprisonment and suspended for one year.
Before this case, the maximum sentence for operating money services without a license was 2 months in prison and 2 years of probation. Therefore, this case is the first case involving the operation of money services without a license to be sentenced to immediate imprisonment. Hong Kong Customs welcomes the court’s decision. The sentence also fully reflects the seriousness of the crime and serves as a clear warning to unlicensed operators. Hong Kong Customs appeals to the public that it is illegal for any person to operate money services without a license. Upon conviction, he may be fined 1 million yuan and imprisoned for 2 years. Members of the public should not patronize unlicensed money change shops.
URL: https://hk.on.cc/hk/bkn/cnt/news/20231113/bkn-20231113164448623-1113_00822_001.html
