Billion-Dollar Macau Money Laundering Case Leads to Charges

(AsiaGameHub) –   On Monday, authorities in Taiwan indicted 20 individuals for their roles in a money laundering operation that allegedly utilized Macau-based casinos to clean over TWD33 billion ($1.03 billion) in illicit funds.

Law enforcement described the case as the country’s “first cross-border casino money laundering case.” The scheme allegedly involved depositing illegal gambling profits into the credit accounts of specific card runners, who then traveled to Macau to use high-limit cards for purchasing casino chips.

These runners reportedly did little to no gambling. Instead, they either cashed out the chips for Hong Kong dollars—the primary currency in Macau’s casinos—or handed them off to accomplices within the gaming center.

Suspects connected to Asian iGaming firm

According to the Yunlin District Prosecutor’s Office, the probe was initiated last November following a tip to the Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) about a criminal organization recruiting money mules. Raids conducted in Taichung, Taipei, and New Taipei City resulted in the arrest of 20 suspects and 10 reported indictments. Charges have been filed under the Money Laundering Prevention Act.

Local news reports have tied the syndicate to Jinzhou Entertainment City, an iGaming operator that targets players in Taiwan, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Online betting is prohibited in Taiwan and Cambodia and faces strict regulations in Vietnam.

Alleged leaders, identified as Chen and Lin, are currently at large with 20-year arrest warrants issued. In 2024, International Community Radio Taipei reported that Jinzhou principals and associates were charged in a similar matter. The Taichung Prosecutor’s Office previously identified Lin as a “former high-ranking police officer” who allegedly used his role as a captain in the Taichung Criminal Investigation Corps to oversee a money laundering ring that netted approximately $1.4 million between 2021 and 2024.

CIB: Police committed to ongoing money laundering fight

In a statement regarding the case, the Taiwan Criminal Investigation Bureau said, “The police will continue to dismantle money laundering networks, enhance their technological investigative tools, and work with international judicial bodies to protect public assets and ensure a safe environment.”