4 days ago
Jailed blessing scam pair may have victims in Australia
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New Zealand Police have revealed that two individuals convicted of fraud relating to a blessing scam in May are wanted by authorities in New South Wales.
Three Chinese nationals - Guoli Liang, 50, Baodi Wu, 59, and Huanyan Chen, 53 - were arrested at Auckland International Airport in November as they attempted to catch flights to China.
Police said at the time the trio arrived in New Zealand in October and began operating a scam in which they deceived people into believing that they or their loved ones were cursed or in danger.
Victims in Auckland and Christchurch were pressured to hand over cash or jewellery in packages and told not to open them after being blessed or risk undoing the ritual.
The trio were alleged to have swapped valuable items during the ceremony, leaving victims with packages filled with worthless contents.
The trio were sentenced to various terms of imprisonment in May, police said in a statement on Friday.
The 59-year-old and 53-year-old women would be eligible for parole shortly, the statement said.
"New Zealand Police has worked closely with counterparts in New South Wales Police to support their operation targeting this scam ring," said detective inspector Aaron Pascoe, a police liaison officer based in Sydney.
"Through information sharing between agencies, we have come to learn [that] two individuals convicted in Auckland City's investigation are wanted [for] arrest in New South Wales," Pascoe said.
"Extradition proceedings are in the process of being considered by NSW Police, and NZ Police are providing support in relation to that process.
"Criminal syndicates won't hesitate to operate across borders, and this just shows that law enforcement will counter this with a united front to hold offending to account where it is occurring."
In November, detective senior sergeant Craig Bolton said blessing scams had predominantly targeted Chinese communities, exploiting cultural beliefs in spiritual healing and curses.
"This type of fraud has been active in New Zealand for more than 15 years, with a notable rise in cases in Auckland in recent years," he said.
Bolton called on members of the Chinese community to raise awareness with elderly relatives about the scam's prevalence.
