The Judiciary Police (PJ) confirmed yesterday that they are investigating a case in which a dealer working in a casino in Nape allegedly stole chips worth over HK$47 million. The police did not name the casino.

Informed sources and online media reports said that Wynn Macau was hit by the stunning theft.

The police have launched a manhunt for the suspect.

According to unconfirmed reports circulating on the Internet, a male croupier working for a VIP club at Wynn Macau stole chips worth of around HK$48 million from the gaming table he was working at on Tuesday, and then left the casino
PJ spokesman Choi Ian Fai revealed scant information on the case during a regular press conference.

Choi said that security guards of a casino in Nape reported to PJ officers stationed there at 7 a.m. on Tuesday that a dealer working in a VIP room had stolen chips worth HK$47,895,000.

According to Internet reports, the 49-year-old dealer surnamed Lei was working on the night shift from 11 p.m. on Monday to 7 a.m. on Tuesday. At 6:30 a.m. on Tuesday, a pit manager reportedly told the supervisor responsible for monitoring Lei’s gaming table to look after other matters elsewhere.

According to the Internet reports, no gamblers were in the VIP room when Lei suddenly put chips worth around HK$48 million from the float into a bag he had hidden under his uniform, after which he changed out of his uniform and left the casino via a guest entrance. Some of the stolen chips are said to have a nominal value of HK$1 million each.

According to the Internet reports, Lei told a female dealer who witnessed the theft not to stop him, allegedly threatening her with a knife.

The reports on the Internet also claim that Lei used to be a casino security guard before he started to work as a croupier several years ago.

Choi stressed during yesterday’s press conference that the suspect did not resort to violence when he was stealing the gaming chips, adding that the case might involve accomplices.

When asked by reporters why the police did not announce the case soon after it occurred, Choi said this was due to the ongoing investigation which needed to be kept under wraps and because accomplices may be involved in the case, adding that the police, therefore, could not reveal more details.

The police only confirmed the case after details – including a photo claiming to depict the suspect, his full name and local ID card number, started circulating on the Internet.

According to the Internet reports, Lei’s wife also works as a dealer in the same casino.

Wynn Macau told local media outlets yesterday that it could not comment on the case as the police are investigating it.

The Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) said in a statement yesterday that it has requested the gaming operator to submit a detailed report on the incident, adding that the bureau was “very concerned” about the case. The statement did not name the gaming operator.

The statement also said that representatives of the gaming operator explained the incident to DICJ officials in a meeting at the bureau yesterday.

The statement said that the bureau also held a meeting with representative from the city’s six gaming operators. In the meeting, the bureau urged the operators to further strengthen their monitoring of casino operations and review their existing security mechanisms to assess whether they needed to be improved.

Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Choi Ian Fai listens to a reporter’s question during yesterday’s regular press conference in the pressroom on the branch premises of the Macau Public Security Forces Academy in Zape.

Cars drive past Wynn Macau in Nape yesterday. Photos: Iong Tat Choi

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