HONG KONG — Interpol has issued a red notice for two Hong Kong residents, Wong and Mok, who are implicated in a series of high-profile fraud and theft cases. Wong, 30, faces one count of fraud and two counts of theft, while Mok, 26, is wanted for two charges of money laundering.
A red notice is a global request to law enforcement to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or similar legal actions.
The charges against Wong stem from a 2019 mine machine fraud case. Wong and Mok allegedly defrauded buyers by promoting mining machines they claimed could mine Filecoins. The machines were reportedly sold through investment seminars and social media, with promises of lucrative returns. When the promised returns did not materialize and the Filecoin launch was delayed, victims reported losses amounting to HK$3 million. Subsequent police investigations led to the arrest of both men on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud, and HK$5 million of their assets were frozen.
Wong first gained notoriety in December 2018 when he livestreamed an incident where banknotes were scattered from a rooftop near Golden Computer Arcade in Sham Shui Po, causing chaos as around 300 people scrambled for the money. The stunt was intended to promote a cryptocurrency, and Wong was arrested the following day while distributing HK$500 notes from his orange Lamborghini. He was charged with committing a public nuisance and later pleaded guilty, receiving a 10-day prison sentence, suspended for 12 months.
In a separate incident last year, Wong faced scrutiny for his promotion of the JPEX cryptocurrency platform on YouTube. The Securities and Futures Commission had warned that JPEX was an unlicensed trading platform, prompting Wong to cease his promotions. Mok, connected to the Australian-registered company JP-EX Crypto Asset Platform Pty Ltd, was arrested in September. Authorities suspect Mok is a central figure in the JPEX fraud case, which involves over HK$1.61 billion and more than 2,600 victims.
Lawmaker Ng Kit-chong commented on the issuance of the red notice, suggesting that police have likely gathered substantial evidence over the past year. He also highlighted the potential of blockchain technology in aiding law enforcement to trace illicit funds. As of April, police have arrested 72 individuals related to the JPEX case.
Interpol’s red notice underscores the international dimension of the investigation, reflecting the ongoing efforts to bring Wong and Mok to justice and to address the broader implications of cryptocurrency fraud.
