Hong Kong police arrest 8 after fake concert tickets sold for HK$650,000

Hong Kong police have arrested eight suspects aged as young as 20 in a crackdown on a cross-border syndicate that allegedly sold fake concert tickets for a total of HK$650,000 (US$82,800), with the Post learning that Taiwanese star Jay Chou’s fans were among those targeted.

The force said on Wednesday that the suspects were all Hong Kong residents and comprised five men and three women aged 20 to 44, with the charges including conspiracy to defraud, possession of false documents, obtaining property by deception and money laundering.

Investigations revealed some of the members’ personal accounts were also allegedly used to launder sums ranging from HK$600,000 to more than HK$10 million.

The force’s Kowloon East regional crime unit identified the syndicate behind the sale of the fake concert tickets after conducting an extensive investigation that involved citywide CCTV analysis.

Police started making inquiries after receiving reports of bogus tickets between April and May.

On Tuesday and Wednesday, officers posed as buyers to apprehend the suspects, who are believed to have included two core members and five lower-level couriers.