33 held in crackdown on credit card theft ring targeting Hongkongers in Shenzhen

Hong Kong and mainland Chinese police arrested 33 people during a joint operation targeting a suspected credit card theft syndicate. According to the South China Morning Post, the group allegedly stole credit cards from Hong Kong residents while they were visiting tourist hotspots in Shenzhen for leisure. The stolen cards were then reportedly brought back to Hong Kong to make purchases for resale as profit, resulting in losses exceeding HK$1.8 million (US$229,500).

The South China Morning Post - Hong Kong reports that victims often did not realize their cards were missing until banks notified them of abnormal transaction records. The investigation involved intelligence exchange between Hong Kong’s Kowloon East regional technology and financial crime unit and Shenzhen’s public security bureau.

In Hong Kong, police arrested 11 men and five women, aged 17 to 45, on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, obtaining property by deception, and handling stolen goods. Those arrested locally included two core members of the syndicate, 13 "card carriers," and an employee of a second-hand electronic device shop.

Brief written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post, South China Morning Post - Hong Kong — 2 reports on this story. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.