CRIME | Cases of ‘naked chat’ blackmail soar

Figures from the Office of the Secretary for Security revealed that there were 10,576 crimes committed between January and September this year, 3.8 percent higher than the same period in 2013. Among all types of criminal cases, the number of extortion cases has jumped by 125.7 pct from 35 over the first nine months of 2013 to 79 in the same period this year.
The Secretary for Security Cheong Kuoc Va suggested that the surge in extortion cases between January and September this year can be attributed to the increase in ‘naked chat’ blackmail cases.
“The reason [for the significant increase of extortion cases] is that there is a type of case that is extortion after online nude chats. There have been 48 of those cases so far this year. Therefore, most of the increased amount of extortion cases came from the nude chat cases,” he explained.
Another type of crime that has seen a considerable increase this year is usury. There were 177 cases of usury between January and September this year, a year-on-year increase of 48.7 pct. Cheong Kuoc Va pointed out that among all the people who are caught participating in usury crimes, 98 of them were from the mainland and eight were from Hong Kong. Only two Macau residents were involved in such cases.
Moreover, the published figures also showed that there is a considerable increase in the number of cases where mainland residents overstay their visa. In the first nine months this year, 31,198 mainland visitors who are holders of documents other than the individual visit scheme visa were found to have overstayed, 21.5 pct more than that in the same period of 2013.
Cheong Kuoc Va said that the amount of people caught overstaying their visa continued to increase in the first half of this year. However, the local government changed the penalties on visa overstay and introduced a higher fine and tighter restrictions in July. The number of days that holders of transit visas from the mainland are allowed to stay in Macau has also been reduced from seven to five days. Mr Cheong believes that the measures are helping to curb the rise in overstaying, which has led to the number of cases dropping from 4,262 in July to 3,315 in September.
Nevertheless, he insisted that it will take a longer period to determine the effectiveness of these new measures. Mr Cheong also suggested that the authorities can again adjust the regulation and further increase the penalties if necessary.
Other crimes that recorded considerable increases include intimidation, rising by 23.4 percent to 206 this year; while property damage cases also rose to 801, a 10.5 percent increase. However, the number of drug consumption cases has dropped by almost half from 246 in 2013 to 124 this year.
Although decreasing, theft cases still account for a large proportion of crimes. During the first nine months of the year there were 2,583 thefts (297 less than in the same period of 2013) and 92 cases of robery (versus 105 in 2013).
Aggression cases, typified as “simple offenses to physical integrity” are also slighty decresing (1,314 compared with the 1,271 up to the end of September last year). Nevertheless, cases of “serious aggression” were 12, four more than in the same period of 2013.

Still no words on Cheong’s future

Cheong Kuoc Va was asked about the recent speculation on the new government Cabinet members during yesterday’s press conference. He said that the government would be making an announcement soon. “Everybody should have some patience,” he said. “As for my role, I am also waiting on the government’s arrangement and the official announcement by the administration,” he added. At least two lists of alleged future Cabinet members have been circulating on the Internet. In the latest one that was reported by the Times, it was claimed that Cheong Kuoc Va will be replaced by Wong Sio Chak, the current director of the Judiciary Police.