The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested three robbery suspects from the Chinese mainland on Christmas Eve, PJ spokesman Cheong Un Hong said during a special press conference on Boxing Day.
Cheong said that the suspects are aged between 35 and 46 surnamed Meng, Song and Zhang, who told the police that they work in the decoration, restaurant and railway sector, respectively. Cheong said that there are two victims in the case, a local and a mainlander.
According to Cheong, on Wednesday afternoon, the local victim, upon the request of a friend and accompanied by a mainland victim, took gaming chips worth HK$100,000 to a hotel guestroom in Cotai. Upon arrival, Cheong said, Zhang and Meng seized the victims’ phones and told them to hand over their belongings. After warning the victims not to report the case to the police, the suspects released them. Cheong stressed that the victims, however, promptly sought help from hotel security and reported the crime.
After receiving the report, Cheong said, PJ officers discovered that the three suspects had immediately headed to the local airport with the intention of leaving Macau. The officers rushed to the airport where they arrested the trio in the restricted area as they were waiting to board their flight.
According to Cheong, the investigation revealed that Song had booked the hotel guestroom and lured the victim there with the chips for purported currency exchange. After the robbery, the three suspects converted the chips into about 90,000 yuan through a third party, divided the proceeds equally, and transferred the funds to their respective bank accounts in the Chinese mainland. Cheong said that the Judiciary Police will continue to track the transfer of the illicit funds.
According to Cheong, the two victims in the case are suspected of involvement in illegal currency exchange activities which means the Judiciary Police will initiate a separate investigation into this matter.
The trio were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Friday, each facing a robbery charge.
Illegal exchange dealer attracts gamblers with 100-yuan-HK$100 rate
Meanwhile, a man from the mainland was arrested on Christmas Day for the illegal currency exchange of HK$100, PJ spokesman Cheong Un Hong said during a special press conference on Boxing Day.
Cheong identified the suspect as a 51-year-old local resident surnamed U, who told police that he is unemployed.
According to Cheong, during a routine inspection of facilities in a casino in Zape on Thursday, PJ officers discovered that U was conducting an illegal currency exchange deal with a gambler. PJ officers intercepted both after they had finished the exchange and discovered that U attracted gamblers by offering them a 100-yuan-HK$100 exchange rate, Cheong said.
According to yesterday’s BOC currency exchange rate, 100 yuan was worth HK$112.08.
According to Cheong, since early September U had earned 10,000 yuan through this arrangement, and PJ officers seized HK$75,000 in cash and his smartphone.
U was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Friday, facing a charge of illegal currency exchange.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the three hooded robbery suspects to a PJ van outside the PJ headquarters in Zape on Boxing Day. – Photo: Armindo Neves
