Few are more acquainted with the uphill task and challenges CCB has faced than CCB Chief Superintendent Chan Yiu-kwok. Retiring from the Force next month, Mr Chan has been closely associated with CCB over the past 20 years, having worked at each rank, from Senior Inspector to Chief Superintendent, and having accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience of investigations of commercial crimes. He also has been involved in many of the policies adopted by CCB.

"CCB officers are the leading professionals in Hong Kong to investigate serious commercial crimes, like the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States, the Serious Fraud Office in the United Kingdom, and the Commercial Affairs Department in Singapore," said Mr Chan. "Criminals are using their brains to commit crimes, and to tackle these 'white collar crimes' investigators have to be very patient, intelligent and have a lot of common sense to look for evidence from lots of documents and computer data. It is also important for them to understand how the commercial sector operates.

"It is of paramount importance that both local and overseas companies have confidence in the Government, rule of law and social order in Hong Kong. The local commercial sector expects stability in Hong Kong, and CCB, along with other government departments and organisations, plays an important role in maintaining stability."

Commercial crime trends and social development

"As an international financial centre, Hong Kong has enjoyed booms in the local stock market and diversity of investments, both of which have contributed to bringing about a buoyant economy. However, there are always criminals trying to exploit loopholes of the local system. To combat frauds, CCB has to constantly update and adjust investigation techniques by establishing test cases and forming Focus Groups, and recommending legislative changes," he noted.

Focus Groups

"After each new fraud had been investigated and prosecution instituted, Focus Groups, each headed by a Chief Inspector, collated the lessons learned to ensure that the knowledge gained from investigations was not lost and would be readily available to other investigators via POINT or means of direct contact."

Crimes beyond boundary

Mr Chan commented: "Advancement in communication and information technology has played into the hands of criminals anywhere. This situation has hampered apprehension of offenders and gathering of evidence. Tackling transnational crimes such as technological crimes and money laundering requires close co-operation among law enforcement agencies in exchanging intelligence, experience and investigation skills."

Working in partnership

"CCB has been working hand-in-hand with the Securities and Futures Commission, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority, the Hong Kong Association of Banks and the Hong Kong Computer Emergency Response Team Coordination Centre, just to name a few. Although we are playing different roles, we always share the common goal of boosting Hong Kong's competitiveness and providing Hong Kong with a fair and just commercial platform," said Mr Chan.

Professionalism of investigators

Engaging community and Corporate Governance

Over his 20 years of service with CCB, Mr Chan has investigated numerous commercial frauds, witnessed criminals being put behind bars, and initiated policy changes, which not only affect the Force but also external partners.

Due to proceed on pre-retirement leave on July 1, Mr Chan told OffBeat that he would miss each and every officer in CCB and will cherish the 34 years that he has spent in the Force, initially as a JPO and finally as CSP CCB. He is confident that CCB will continue with its proactive intelligence-led policing and public engagement to combat commercial crimes in the years to come.

Attending training as a constable in 1976

Mr Chan (seventh from right in second row) attended the CCB Sports Day in 1997 as Superintendent