Hong Kong authorities have arrested six individuals as part of an investigation into a nine-year-long corruption operation involving investors and over HK$14 million in funds. The operation began when police identified a Maltese man as the mastermind behind the scheme, while the other five were residents of Hong Kong. Three men arrested at their homes in Kwun Tong had cash worth around $540,000, laptops, cellphones, investment contracts, and agarwood products.

The investigation started on September 9, after receiving 21 recommendations from victims, primarily elderly women, who claimed they had been invested in various options offered by the BBB Group (Hong Kong) since 2017. The group would use various reasons to avoid the victims' money, in an attempt to avoid paying them. The investor promised his clients a 36% return on three years if they invested HK$10,000.

Clients were informed that they would be fully reimbursed for the capital they invested, according to the police. The investment was launched in 2020 with monthly returns of HK$300, equivalent to a yearly return of 36% over three years. The police highlighted that clients had received appointment points in mobile apps provided by the involved company.

The group also organized investment meetings, trips to China, and client and friend gala events, involving at least four types of 'investments' between 2017 and this year. The operation involved several companies, including BBB Group (Malaysia) and BBB Oud Living (HK). Authorities identified these companies as connected to the agarwood operation, and arrested two men and four women, including a Maltese foreigner aged between 52 and 66, who was identified as the mastermind.