The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested a man from the Chinese mainland earlier this week for breach of trust. The victim had provided HK$300,000 as gambling capital (an initial stake) and entrusted the suspect to gamble on his behalf in a Macau casino earlier this year. After the suspect won HK$200,000 at the gaming tables, he pocketed the winnings along with the victim’s original capital.
The case was announced by PJ spokesman Ho Wai Lok during a press conference yesterday.
The suspect is a 38-year-old jobless mainland resident surnamed Zhang.
The victim, also a man from the mainland, met Zhang in a local casino early this year, and the two had been exchanging gambling tips and strategies via WeChat. On January 30, Zhang told the victim that he could gamble on his behalf in a casino for a fee of HK$500 per hour. As the victim was not in Macau at the time, he agreed to the deal and instructed a friend to take HK$300,000 in cash to the casino and hand it to Zhang as gambling capital.
Zhang gambled with the money and won HK$200,000. Afterwards, the victim told Zhang that he was coming to Macau to collect his capital and winnings. However, Zhang made an excuse to leave the casino, and the victim lost contact with him. The victim reported the incident to the police on February 12.
Following an investigation, PJ officers identified Zhang as the suspect. He was arrested on Monday as he re-entered Macau via the Hengqin joint checkpoint.
Under police questioning, Zhang claimed that because he felt his HK$500-per-hour commission was “disproportionate to the massive winnings” he had generated, he decided to keep the HK$500,000.
However, Zhang subsequently gambled away the entire HK$500,000 before his arrest on Monday.
Zhang was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing a charge of breach of trust.
Couple steals chips in illegal inn
Meanwhile, Ho also announced during yesterday’s press conference that a mainland couple has been arrested for stealing casino chips worth HK$119,500 from a man at an illegal inn in the peninsula’s northern district.
The suspects are a 40-year-old woman surnamed Zhong and her 36-year-old boyfriend surnamed Xiong.
The victim, also from the mainland, had been staying at the illegal inn – an illegally converted rooftop flat in a low-rise residential building in the northern district – since early this month for a monthly rent of HK$1,500. The couple was staying at the same premises.
On Saturday last week, the victim hung his bag, which contained the casino chips, on the bathroom door while showering, but forgot to take it with him when he left. When he returned later that day, he found that all the chips had vanished and reported the matter to the police.
PJ officers quickly identified the two suspects, who were arrested at a casino in Cotai on Monday night.
The police investigation indicated that after Zhong stole the chips from the victim’s bag, she handed them to Xiong, who then went to a casino in Cotai to exchange them for cash.
Following the arrests, police seized a gold necklace from Zhong, alongside HK$17,000 worth of gaming chips and HK$600 in cash from Xiong. The duo had reportedly bought the necklace with some of the stolen money.
The pair was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing charges of aggravated theft and fencing.
The police have notified the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) of the illegal inn for follow-up action.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the breach-of-trust suspect to a PJ vehicle outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday. – Photo: Tony Wong
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the two hooded theft suspects to a PJ vehicle outside the PJ headquarters yesterday. – Photo: Tony Wong
