Macau’s Public Prosecutor’s Office (MP) says it will detain five suspects in a case involving the use of fake casino chips to prevent them from fleeing the city.
The five mainland Chinese men were arrested by the Judicial Police (PJ) on 2 May for allegedly using 585 fake chips with a denomination of HK$10,000 to defraud a casino in the Cotai area, successfully swindling the casino of at least HK$1.8 million (US$230,400).
The men were transferred to the MP for investigation. After a preliminary investigation, the five suspects were found guilty of “substantial fraud”, an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
The MP stated that, taking into account the fact that the five suspects are mainland residents and the seriousness of the case – and in order to avoid the risk of the suspects fleeing the territory, continuing to commit crimes of the same nature and disrupting the public order – the judge of the Criminal Investigation Courts, on the recommendation of the prosecutor, ordered that the five suspects be subject to mandatory measures of detention.
It added, “The fake chips fraud case has had a considerable negative impact on the public order and economic development of Macau, and in particular has seriously disrupted the orderly operation of the entertainment and gaming industry in accordance with the law.
“The Public Prosecutor’s Office reminds the public and tourists to report suspected cases of fraud to the police or MP as soon as possible, so that we can work together to curb related crimes.”
The PJ pointed out that the five mainland men were instructed by a mainland criminal syndicate to come to Macau to commit the crime, and that three of them are still at large. Police are currently tracking information of the people and criminal syndicate concerned.
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