A man from the mainland was arrested yesterday for robbery, illegal possession of weapons, illegal recording and photography, and invasion of privacy, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Siu Keong said during a special press conference yesterday.
Cheong identified the suspect as a 34-year-old male surnamed Liu who owns a renovation company in the mainland.
According to Cheong, the Judiciary Police (PJ) received a referral from the Public Security Police (PSP) about a middle-aged woman from the mainland who had been robbed in a hotel guestroom in Cotai in the early hours of yesterday.
Cheong noted that the victim had met Liu while gambling at a casino in Cotai early yesterday. The victim subsequently accompanied Liu to his hotel guestroom “for a chat”. In the room, Liu assaulted her using a table knife and cut her left wrist, forced her to undress and disclose her mobile phone passcode. Liu then transferred 6,900 yuan (7,760 patacas) from the victim’s mobile payment app and took nude photographs of her, threatening to release them online if she reported the crime. After Liu left the guestroom, the victim immediately called the police for help.
The police apprehended Liu at a Cotai casino at 10 a.m. and seized a table knife, HK$1,000 in cash and HK$6,500 in casino chips from him. Under questioning, Liu refused to cooperate.
Liu was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing charges for robbery, illegal possession of weapons, illegal recording and photography, and invasion of privacy.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the hooded robbery suspect to a PJ van outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday. – Photo: Ada Lei
