Crime increased 26% during the first half of 2021

The number of crimes reported in Macau during the first half of this year (H1) rose by 26.1%, official statistics released yesterday by the Secretariat for Security show.
Topping the list of incidents are cybercrimes, which registered a growth of 382% when compared with the same period last year.
In the first half of 2021 the number of cybercrimes recorded reached 617 incidents — 489 more than in 2020.
Also growing significantly was criminal activity that facilitated illegal immigration, which rose 81.9% year-on-year from 182 cases in 2020 to 331 reported this year.
Also on the rise were cases of sexual assault committed against underage people, which doubled from two to four this year.
Scams and document forgery also contributed to the H1 spike in 2021. Both crimes grew by about 50%, while the crime of making false declarations to the authorities rose by 65%.
By contrast, crimes that have traditionally been linked to casinos have reduced due to border restrictions related to the Covid-19 pandemic. The crime of kidnapping fell by 41.4%, the unlawful use of ID belonging to a third-person fell by 76.6%, and the distribution of forged currency by 19.4%.
Violent crimes committed against individuals, including rape and sexual assault, were highlighted for their statistical increase in H1. The number of reported rapes increased by 23.1% to a total of 16 in the first half of 2021 — three more cases than in 2020.
In the report, the Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, noted the increase in the number of incidents, but nonetheless expressed satisfaction with the fact that, in general, violent crimes have recorded a slight decrease of 0.8% y-o-y.
Wong also noted that, since the numbers of the gaming industry remained low for the first half of this year, the Secretary has not conducted a specific analysis of criminality related to the industry, as was usual in crime reportage before the pandemic.