The Judiciary Police (PJ) separately arrested two men from the mainland on Monday and Tuesday respectively for engaging in illegal currency exchange activities, PJ spokesman Chong Kam Leong said during a regular press conference yesterday.
Chong identified the suspects as a 33-year-old male surnamed Guan and a 32-year-old male surnamed Chen, both of whom claimed to be jobless.
According to Chong, PJ officers on patrol in a casino in Cotai on Tuesday noticed that Guan was acting suspiciously. The officers witnessed Guan engaging in an illegal exchange deal with a gambler. Guan and the gambler agreed to exchange 18,800 yuan for HK$20,000 in chips, with Guan providing a QR code for the gambler to transfer the relevant funds. After the transaction was completed, the gambler immediately entered the casino to gamble.
The police later intercepted both and seized a smartphone, HK$34,000 in cash, HK$12,000 in chips from Guan, along with HK$8,500 in chips from the gambler. Under questioning, Guan admitted to having engaged in illegal exchange activities in Macau since July.
Meanwhile, Chong also announced that PJ officers on patrol in a casino in Cotai on Monday noticed Chen and a gambler behaving suspiciously. The officers saw Chen showing his phone to the gambler for a QR code transfer before handing over cash. The gambler then entered the casino to exchange the cash for chips to gamble.
The police later intercepted both and seized HK$53,500 in chips, 1,100 yuan in cash, HK$200 in cash, and two smartphones from Chen, along with HK$19,000 in chips from the gambler. Under questioning, Chen admitted to having engaged in illegal currency exchange activities multiple times that day.
Both Guan and Chen have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), each facing an illegal currency exchange charge.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference.– Photo: Ada Lei
