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Two mainland women were sentenced to up to nearly five years in prison at the District Court on Thursday for laundering over HK$280 million in Hong Kong, following their prosecution by Customs in 2023.
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The case marks the first-ever conviction of cross-boundary money laundering by passengers since the Cross-boundary Movement of Physical Currency and Bearer Negotiable Instruments Ordinance came into effect in 2018.
Defendant Luo Xiaoping, 62, was jailed for 58 months, while Xiang Yurong, 63, received a 36-month sentence. They were previously convicted of four counts of money laundering.
The court heard that the two defendants frequently transported large quantities of cash into Hong Kong via boundary control points between 2018 and 2019. Customs officers eventually arrested the duo at the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line Control Point in September 2019.
During the proceedings, Luo’s defense cited her limited education as a mitigating factor and questioned why customs officials permitted her to successfully declare and transport cash on 151 separate occasions before finally intervening as she handed HK$120,000 to Xiang.
However, Judge Wong Sze-lai dismissed this argument, emphasizing that Luo was motivated by persistent greed rather than ignorance. The judge also pointed out that Luo's own daughter had repeatedly urged her to stop her illicit activities.
Xiang’s lawyer also pleaded for leniency, highlighting the severe financial hardships she endured while having to rent accommodation in Hong Kong since her formal charging in 2023.
In delivering the sentences, Judge Wong acknowledged that while neither woman was a mastermind nor heavily compensated, their roles were crucial.
She stressed that without their participation, the illicit funds would not have entered Hong Kong, adding that their actions caused significant harm to the financial integrity of both the city and the mainland.
Customs welcomed the sentencing. “The custodial sentences have imposed a considerable deterrent effect and reflect the seriousness of money laundering offenses," the authorities said in a statement.
𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓
