The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested two men from the mainland on Sunday for usury and the false imprisonment of a male gambler, PJ spokesman Ho Wai Lok said during a special press conference yesterday.
Ho identified the suspects as a 37-year-old male and a 28-year-old male, both surnamed Lin, who claimed to be jobless.
According to Ho, the police received a report on Sunday morning about a young man who was being held against his will in a flat due to debts from high-interest gambling loans.
Ho noted that the victim had been approached on Sunday morning by a man, who was still at large at the time of the press conference, offering to lend him money for gambling. The victim agreed to borrow HK$30,000 in gambling chips under three conditions: an advance deduction of HK$3,000 as “interest” and a 20 percent “interest” on each winning round; moreover, he was required to sign an IOU for 30,000 yuan.
After signing the IOU, the victim was taken to a casino in Zape by the two Lins, receiving HK$27,000 in chips for gambling. By 8 a.m., the victim had gambled away all the borrowed chips. The two Lins then confined the victim in a flat near the Patane wet market (沙梨頭水上街市), demanding repayment.
Ho added that while being held against his will the victim managed to call his family to tell them to report the case to the police. The police arrested the Lins at the flat and seized three smartphones, the signed IOU, a pen, a lipstick, and HK$2,500 in cash from them. Ho said that while gambling the victim was charged HK$10,000 by the loan sharks in “interest” and he was held for nine hours.
Ho said that the suspects used the lipstick for the victim to sign his IOU.
The duo were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing charges of false imprisonment and usury.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the two hooded usury and false imprisonment suspects to a PJ van outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday. – Photo: Ada Lei
