The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested two men from the mainland on Tuesday for engaging in casino loansharking activities, PJ spokesman Cheong Un Hong said during a regular press conference yesterday.
Cheong identified the suspects as a 41-year-old man surnamed Wu and a 36-year-old man surnamed Li, who both told the police that they were jobless.
According to Cheong, at 11:58 p.m. on Tuesday, Judiciary Police officers conducting an anti-crime patrol inside a casino in Zape observed two men, Wu and Li taking chips from a gambler at a baccarat table. The officers immediately detained all three individuals for investigation and determined the incident involved engaging in casino loansharking activities.
Cheong said that, the investigation revealed that the victim had exhausted their gambling funds by 8 p.m. that evening and subsequently contacted via WeChat a man they had met days earlier to arrange a loan. Wu, and the man arrived outside the casino offering a HK$30,000 loan under the following terms: the money was restricted to baccarat games, with HK$3,000 deducted per round as upfront interest and 20 percent of any winnings taken as additional interest, and the gambler had to sign an IOU.
After the victim agreed, Wu and the unidentified man escorted the gambler to the casino to meet Li, who took the victim into the toilets to sign an IOU which Li kept. Li then handed over HK$30,000 in chips to the victim, deducting HK$3,000 upfront as interest. During the gambling, Li collected interest while Wu was monitoring the victim. By 11:58 p.m., the victim had only HK$9,000 in chips left and Li had already taken HK$5,000 as interest.
The remaining HK$9,000 in chips from the victim and HK$2,505 in cash and chips and two mobile phones were seized from Wu and Li, along with the incriminating IOU.
It was suspected that the unidentified man, who was still at large at the time of the press conference, had the rest of the chips and cash.
Wu and Li were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Wednesday, facing charges of usury, the Judiciary Police were still looking for the other suspect.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman, Cheong Un Hong, looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference. – Photo: Armindo Neves
