Hong Kong police arrested ten suspects on Wednesday for alleged involvement in multiple of cases of credit card fraud.
Nine men and one woman, aged between 21 and 63 and all with triad backgrounds, were arrested in Central on Hong Kong Island and in Kowloon’s Mong Kok for alleged conspiracy to defraud, fraud and theft, Oriental Daily reported.
Police believed that the gang were involved in 49 fraud cases that took place between January and September this year.
It is understood that the gang had assigned members to steal credit cards and identity cards at restaurants, public swimming pools and sports grounds. The stolen cards were used to buy electronic goods, iPhones, luxury watches and handbags with values totaling HK$4.1 million (US$75,433).
Meanwhile, the gang also assigned members to pose as victims of theft who would go to the Immigration Department and apply for new identity cards. The fraudsters then used the bogus identification to borrow loans from financial institutions.
Investigations found that the gang had cheated fours bank out of HK$3.65 million by using fake identification.
Police officers raided a unit in an industrial building in To Kwa Wan, Kowloon and confiscated credit cards, bank cards, passports, identity cards, bank statements, luxury watches and a card reader.
According to the police, further arrests are expected.