The Public Security Bureau of Panshi City in Jilin Province has cracked down on an illegal operation involving underground banks and virtual currencies.
The case, which involved approximately 2.14 billion yuan (around $300 million), led to the arrest of six individuals suspected of engaging in criminal activities related to money laundering between China and South Korea, according to a report from ChinaNews.com.
The suspects exploited the anonymous and decentralized nature of virtual currencies to conduct unlawful exchange operations between the Chinese Renminbi (RMB) and the South Korean Won.
The Scheme Facilitated Money Laundering Activities
The illicit scheme allowed them to facilitate large-scale money laundering activities across borders.
Authorities became aware of the operation through the Economic Investigation Brigade of the Panshi City Public Security Bureau.
During their investigation, they uncovered crucial leads that pointed to the involvement of Jin Moudong, a resident of Jilin, and his accomplice, Shen Mou, in conducting currency exchange businesses in both China and South Korea.
It was revealed that they lured unsuspecting individuals into fraudulent transactions before fleeing back to China.
After gathering substantial evidence, the police discovered that the bank accounts linked to Jin Moudong and Shen Mou exhibited significant transaction volumes.
The accounts had frequent inflows and outflows of funds, a diverse customer base, and transaction patterns consistent with illegal underground banking activities.
Utilizing this information, the police formed a task force to further investigate the financial activities, social connections, and organizational structure of the criminal gang.
After some analysis, they were able to apprehend Jin Moudong, Shen Mou, and their associates.
The law enforcement operation resulted in the seizure of a considerable number of bank cards and tools used in the commission of the crimes.
The investigation revealed that the criminal network in question engaged in various illegal activities, such as using domestic accounts to receive and transfer funds, conducting over-the-counter (OTC) trades of virtual currencies, and settling transactions in Korean Won.
Their operation catered to Korean purchasing agents, cross-border e-commerce platforms, and import-export trading companies, providing them with the means to exchange RMB for Korean Won and vice versa.
Six Arrested in Connection with Austrian Crypto Fraud
A joint operation involving national authorities from Austria, Cyprus, and the Czech Republic led to the arrest of six individuals connected to an online scam related to the sale of rights or tokens for a supposed new cryptocurrency.
Supported by Eurojust and Europol, the coordinated action resulted in the seizure and freezing of assets totaling €2 million.
In another incident, Instagram influencer Jebara Igbara, known as “Jay Mazini,” has been sentenced to seven years in prison for orchestrating a multi-million dollar crypto Ponzi scheme.
JUST IN: Jebara Igbara, AKA ‘Jay Mazini,’ Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Crypto-Related Fraud pic.twitter.com/9r8dEvdq1J
— BitMemes Daily (@daily_bitmeme) April 25, 2024
More recently, Queensland Police took action against an alleged crypto investment fraud operating on the Gold Coast, resulting in the arrest and charging of four individuals.
The investigation, led by the Financial and Cyber Crime Group Money Laundering Unit, began in July 2022.
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