The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested four mainland Chinese men suspected of being hired by the same counterfeit-chip syndicate to approach gamblers near casinos and exchange fake chips for cash.
Police seized a total of 128 counterfeit chips with a face value of HKD10,000 each, believed to be from the same batch as those seized in a case in January last year.
Multiple counterfeit gaming chips were recently discovered at three casinos under a local gaming operator in Cotai and the Zona de Aterros do Porto Exterior (ZAPE) district.
The four arrested men, all unemployed mainland Chinese residents, are surnamed Lin (35), Jiang (22), Zhu (35), and Zhou (35).
The incident was discovered on Jan. 3 when Lin attempted to exchange seven HKD10,000 chips with a male gambler at a Cotai casino. The gambler became suspicious, a dispute ensued, and security intervened.
The PJ was notified and took both individuals in for questioning.
During the investigation, the PJ received further reports from the operator’s casinos in Cotai and ZAPE, stating that 21 similar counterfeit chips had been discovered.
Police subsequently apprehended Jiang and Zhu and intercepted Zhou at the border checkpoint at 10 p.m. as he attempted to leave Macau.
The PJ has transferred the case to the Public Prosecutions Office for further investigation on charges of criminal association and serious fraud.
Investigations revealed that the four men belonged to the same criminal syndicate. They confessed to being recruited by the syndicate’s handlers in late November last year.
The men entered Macau via the border on Jan. 3 and were assigned to target gamblers at and around three casinos under the operator, exchanging fake chips for cash. Each was promised a minimum reward of RMB20,000 upon success.
The PJ seized a total of 128 counterfeit HKD10,000 chips, and after expert examination, it was confirmed they were high-quality fakes, with appearance and weight nearly identical to genuine chips, making them difficult for the average person to detect.
These chips were confirmed to be from the same batch seized in January last year.
Three gamblers suffered a combined loss of HKD210,000, while the three casinos involved reported no immediate financial loss.
According to previous records, on Jan. 1 last year, the PJ uncovered a syndicate using counterfeit chips at a Cotai casino.
That case involved 77 fake chips with a face value of HKD10,000, causing a HKD20,000 loss to the casino and a total loss of HKD580,000 to 11 gamblers. The current case is suspected to involve the same syndicate.
Police are continuing to pursue other suspects and trace the illicit funds. Ricaela Diputado
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