Hong Kong police have arrested 29 individuals, including teenagers as young as 14, in connection with a loan-sharking and money laundering operation that targeted vulnerable borrowers through aggressive debt collection tactics. The group allegedly exploited young people, some dressed in school uniforms, to intimidate debtors by splashing red paint as part of their enforcement methods.

The detained suspects comprise 17 men and 12 women ranging in age from 14 to 70. Authorities have identified links between several of those arrested and local triad organizations. The Kowloon East Regional Crime Unit uncovered that the syndicate divided its activities across multiple locations in Tsuen Wan to evade law enforcement. According to Chief Inspector Nicole Wu Hoi-ling, three concealed operational bases were established, including an illegal loan call center masquerading as legitimate financial firms to deceive borrowers. This center was reportedly used to harvest personal information, which was then exploited to defraud relatives of the borrowers.

In a related development, a family-operated money laundering group processed illicit funds through so-called puppet accounts, operating both from a residential address and a nearby industrial facility. Police investigations revealed that the laundering arm handled between HK$1 million and HK$2 million each month. During the raids, officers seized approximately HK$300,000 in cash.

Authorities emphasized the sophistication of the scheme, highlighting its use of minors in coercive activities and the layering of laundering processes to obscure the source of illegal profits. The arrests come amid ongoing efforts by Hong Kong law enforcement to crack down on organized crime linked to loan sharking and financial fraud. Further investigations are underway to dismantle the network and identify additional participants.