The Hong Kong police have prosecuted 16 people in the JPEX case, and approximately HKD 228 million in assets have been frozen, with the mastermind still at large

According to Hong Kong media Ming Pao, the Hong Kong police have prosecuted 16 individuals in the JPEX case, including internet celebrity Lin Zuo. The case will be heard tomorrow at the Eastern Magistrates' Court.

It is reported that among the 16 individuals charged, 6 are core members of JPEX, involved in conspiracy to commit fraud, money laundering, and obstructing justice; 7 are members of virtual currency over-the-counter exchanges; and 3 are puppet account holders. This is the first time the police have used the crime of "fraudulently or recklessly inducing others to invest in virtual assets" under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorist Financing Ordinance for prosecution. The police have arrested a total of 80 individuals so far, have identified two masterminds and one key member who are still at large, and have issued a red notice through Interpol. The case involves over 2,700 victims, with losses exceeding HKD 1.6 billion, and the police have frozen assets worth approximately HKD 228 million. The police do not rule out the possibility of a second round of prosecution actions.