4 more arrested in relation to illegal protest funding platform

HONG KONG – Police have arrested four more people on suspicion of drug trafficking or drug possession in relation to an online fund-raising platform for anti-government protests.

Last December, police arrested four people believed to be connected to Spark Alliance -- an alleged money-laundering syndicate that is also suspected of funding protesters in anti-government riots triggered by the now-withdrawn extradition bill. The HK$70 million raised by the group has been frozen since.

Police said at a press briefing on Wednesday afternoon that they had discovered an unusual transaction of HK$48,000 between a shell company owned by the group and an 18-year-old unemployed male between October and November last year.

The man was alleged to be involved in drug trafficking and irregular bank transactions, said Raymond Chou, superintendent of Narcotics Bureau (Operations).

Police arrested the man in Sham Shui Po on suspicion of trafficking in dangerous drug and money laundering on Tuesday night.

Meanwhile, a male and two female drug buyers, aged 26 to 35, were also arrested for possession of dangerous drug.

Illegal drugs worth HK$8,000 were seized during the operation. Police are still tracing the money flow and sources of the drugs from the clues provided by the bank records of the 18-year-old suspect.