A group of six people, including five police officers on active duty and one former police officer, were arrested by the Judiciary Police (PJ) last week for their alleged involvement in an organized crime scheme.
The six suspects, who had already been taken to a preliminary hearing where they received the news that they will be held in preventive custody, were caught in an operation by the PJ that aimed to stop people illegally entering Macau.
The group is suspected of having received large sums of money as bribes in order to allow mainland China gamblers to cross the border and enter the territory illegally to gamble at casinos.
The PJ revealed in a press conference that this investigation has been in development for a period of over two years. In addition, according to the preliminary conclusions, they might have profited more than MOP1.8 million from this scheme, charging as much as MOP220,000 per person in exchange for aid, for transportation in and out of the territory, as well as for protection services during their stay.
The group might have been in operation for a period of more than four years.
The Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak, reacted to the arrests by stating that he was “deeply concerned” about this matter and expressed his “deep regrets” over the involvement of law enforcement agents in illegal activities.
Mr Wong also mentioned that he has already ordered a full investigation into the case plus a review of internal controls and supervisory measures in the police force.
According to the information provided by the PJ, at the moment of the detention, four of the officers held in custody were a part of the criminal intelligence unit of the Public Security Police Force, one was a member of the Immigration Services, and the last was a retired police officer who left his position about one year ago.
Although there is no clear information about the group’s operations, several international news agencies connect the case with the junket business, in which the group participated by providing “high-roller” gamblers for at least one of the junkets operating in one of Macau’s casinos, which has not yet been identified.
police found guilty of sexual abuse
A police officer who was found to have sexually abused 16 female students has been sentenced to eight years in jail. The Court of First Instance has found the accused guilty of coercion, sexual extortion and the sexual violation of teenagers, in which two of the victims were only 13 years old. The court stated that the officer blackmailed the teenage girls for more photographs and sexual favors. The man disguised himself as a female model recruiter to obtain nude photographs from the teenage girls online. Authorities have found over 1,700 nude photographs and video clips of the victims on the officer’s computer. The policeman’s illegal activity was first discovered on December 24.
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