On Monday, prosecutors in Taiwan charged 20 people in a money laundering racket that allegedly used Macau casinos to wash more than TWD33 billion ($1.03 billion) in dirty money.
The scheme, which law enforcement called the “nation’s first cross-border casino money laundering case”, allegedly funnelled illicit gambling cash into the credit accounts of designated card runners. The card runners then travelled to Macau, where they used the high-limit cards to buy casino chips.
They gambled little if at all. Then, they redeemed the chips for Hong Kong dollars – the currency of choice in Macau casinos – or passed them on to co-conspirators in the gaming hub.
Suspects linked to Asian iGaming group
According to the Yunlin District Prosecutor’s Office, the investigation began last November after a tipster informed the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) about an organised crime gang recruiting money mules. Raids in Taichung, Taipei and New Taipei City led to the roundup of 20 suspects and a reported 10 indictments. Police have filed charges under the Money Laundering Prevention Act.
Local media linked the syndicate to Jinzhou Entertainment City, which operates iGaming platforms targeting players in Taiwan, Cambodia and Vietnam. Online gambling is illegal in both Taiwan and Cambodia and operates under strict limitations in Vietnam.
News reports have linked the alleged kingpins, named Chen and Lin, to the Jingzhou enterprise. The men are currently at large, with 20-year warrants out for their arrest. In 2024, according to International Community Radio Taipei, Jingzhou principals and associates were charged in connection to a similar case. The Taichung Prosecutor’s Office then identified Lin as “a former high-ranking police officer” who “used his capacity as Taichung Criminal Investigation Corps captain” to run the money laundering operation, which netted some $1.4 million between 2021 and 2024.
CIB: Police will continue to combat money laundering
In a statement on the current case, the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau said, “The police will continue to crack down on money laundering channels, improve their technological investigative capabilities and cooperate with international judicial authorities to fully protect the public’s property and maintain a safe and secure environment.”
Marjorie Preston
Marjorie began her gaming career in 2007 and has focused on Asian gaming markets since 2020. Outside of work, she writes about travel and film and plays the drums.
Original article: https://igamingbusiness.com/money-laundering/charges-filed-in-billion-dollar-macau-money-laundering-case/
