According to CryptoPotato, Chinese law enforcement has dismantled a significant underground banking operation that used the well-known stablecoin Tether (USDT) to facilitate transfers totaling 13.8 billion yuan ($1.9 billion). The Public Security Bureau of Chengdu Municipal arrested 193 individuals associated with the case and froze 149 million yuan ($20.6 million) after raiding the operation's location.
Investigations carried out by the police since 2021 revealed that the underground banking operation was led by a criminal gang with roots in the Chinese import and export business. The gang used USDT to operate a foreign exchange payment and settlement business, offering illegal services to cosmetics and drug smugglers and locals who purchased foreign assets. The gang also collaborated with other companies to fraudulently obtain tax refunds. The police discovered that USDT was used to circumvent national foreign exchange supervision, posing a risk to the country's financial security.
The gang's operation is also connected to job-related crimes, smuggling of illegal goods, and financial fraud such as interfering with credit card management and defrauding export tax refunds. The Longquanyi District Branch of the Chengdu Municipal Public Security Bureau first detected the operation in November 2022 while handling a drug case that involved fund settlement through underground banks.
In June 2023, the Ministry of Public Security formed a task force that raided six municipalities, including Shanghai, Changsha, Nanjing, Shenzhen, Fuzhou, and Jinhua, in search of the underground banks. The raid resulted in the arrest of 25 suspects and the confiscation of numerous payment instruments, including bank cards and U-shields. Another raid was conducted in August 2023, resulting in the arrest of 168 individuals across 26 provinces. Following these events, the Ministry of Public Security initiated a nationwide campaign against underground bank crimes.
Earlier this week, the police force in Panshi City of the Jilin Province cracked another underground bank involving 2.14 billion yuan ($296 million) in cryptocurrencies and arrested six individuals, including suspects wanted for crimes in South Korea.
