According to police, the six individuals were allegedly working on behalf of a Taiwanese fraud syndicate to find local recruits, enticing them with promises of high pay to act as “money mules” in Taiwan.
The case traces back to September last year, when families of nine Macau residents reported losing contact with their relatives. Investigations later revealed that the missing individuals had been lured to Taiwan to participate in fraudulent activities, primarily tasked with collecting and remitting illegal funds. The group included eight men and one woman, spanning from teenagers to middle-aged adults, with one minor among them.
All nine were eventually arrested by Taiwanese authorities and sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to eight months. Four of them completed their sentences and returned to Macau between March and August this year, prompting local police to pursue follow-up investigations.
On October 13th, police carried out coordinated operations across multiple districts and border checkpoints, detaining six suspects believed to be directly involved in recruitment and coordination.
Those arrested include a 22-year-old night school student surnamed Au Ieong, a 37-year-old salesperson surnamed Liu, a 22-year-old unemployed man surnamed Lo, a 17-year-old female night school student surnamed Cheng, a 27-year-old food delivery rider surnamed Cheong, and a 43-year-old insurance worker surnamed Tam. Investigators identified Au Ieong and Liu as key organizers responsible for recruitment efforts. The case has been forwarded to the Public Prosecutions Office on charges of “participation in a criminal syndicate.”
Police said the nine Macau “money mules” received only several thousand to tens of thousands of yuan each for their work in Taiwan, while the two core recruiters were paid commissions ranging from 1 to 3 percent of the total fraud proceeds. Authorities are continuing to trace the full amount of illicit earnings involved in the case.
