Police said on Tuesday they had arrested 19 people on suspicion of money laundering in a case involving some HK$100 million.

Chief Inspector Wong Chi-tang of the Organised Crime and Triad Bureau said the suspects, aged between 28 and 67, were linked to an illegal gambling syndicate busted by the force in May.

He said the 13 men and six women allegedly used their bank accounts for money laundering and asked gamblers who had lost money to open accounts in order to offset their debts.

Wong said the suspects were also believed to have lured others online to sell or rent out their bank accounts for money laundering. He said one bank account could be sold for between HK$500 and HK$2,000.

A total of 22 bank accounts were involved in the case, he said.

The officer said the investigation was ongoing and more people might be arrested.