Taiwan Prosecutors Charge 20 in Cross-Border Casino Money Laundering Scheme

Authorities in Taiwan have brought charges against 20 individuals accused of participating in a large-scale money laundering operation that allegedly channelled more than TWD33 billion (approximately $1.03 billion) through casinos in Macau. Prosecutors described the operation as the “nation’s first cross-border casino money laundering case”.

According to investigators, the scheme involved directing illicit gambling proceeds into credit accounts assigned to designated intermediaries known as card runners. These individuals would then travel to Macau, where they used high-limit credit cards to purchase casino chips. Rather than engaging in significant gambling activity, they either gambled minimally or not at all, later cashing out the chips in Hong Kong dollars—widely used in Macau’s gaming industry—or transferring them to accomplices operating within the casino environment.

The Yunlin District Prosecutor’s Office stated that the case originated last November after a whistleblower alerted the Criminal Investigation Bureau to the activities of an organised crime group recruiting money mules. Subsequent raids carried out in Taichung, Taipei, and New Taipei City resulted in the detention of 20 suspects and the filing of 10 indictments. Authorities have pursued charges under the Money Laundering Prevention Act.

Local media reports have connected the alleged network to Jinzhou Entertainment City, an iGaming operator that targets users in Taiwan, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Online gambling remains illegal in Taiwan and Cambodia and is tightly restricted in Vietnam.

Further reports have identified two alleged ringleaders, surnamed Chen and Lin, as being associated with the Jingzhou operation. Both men remain fugitives, with arrest warrants issued for up to 20 years. In a related case in 2024, International Community Radio Taipei reported that Jingzhou affiliates had already faced charges. At that time, the Taichung Prosecutor’s Office described Lin as “a former high-ranking police officer” who “used his capacity as Taichung Criminal Investigation Corps captain” to orchestrate a laundering scheme that generated approximately $1.4 million between 2021 and 2024.

In response to the latest developments, the Criminal Investigation Bureau reaffirmed its commitment to tackling financial crime, stating: “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.”

By fLEXI tEAM