PJ cracks down on illegal currency exchanges ahead of CNY

The Judiciary Police (PJ) intercepted four illegal currency exchange operations on Monday, seizing more than HKD400,000 in cash and chips from a Cotai hotel jewelry shop and a group of Chinese money-swappers in a nearby casino.

The force detailed the busts at a special press conference held yesterday afternoon.

PJ said they had been monitoring a Cotai hotel jewelry store, where they observed two Chinese women scanning a QR code from a 56-year-old local female staff member. The women then received cash from a drawer and left the shop for the casino to gamble.

When intercepted, the women admitted to exchanging HKD40,000 and HKD1,000, respectively.

Police seized HKD29,900 in their remaining chips from the two women.

From the store, PJ seized HKD158,970 in cash, three ledgers, and two mobile phones tied to the scheme. Authorities suspect that the scheme has been running since August 2025.

The suspect told authorities that she had been employed by the shop since October 2025, earning a monthly salary of MOP13,000 and exchanging money for customers as instructed.

Later the same day at another Cotai property, the PJ intercepted four Chinese men, aged 27 to 40, suspected of soliciting gamblers in the casino midfield and smoking rooms.

A 40-year-old suspect surnamed Ho was found exchanging funds with two gamblers, taking HKD18,120 and HKD18,040. Police seized HKD139,000 cash from Ho.

Meanwhile, a 27-year-old unemployed man from the mainland was found exchanging RMB45,000 for HKD50,000 worth of gambling chips with a casino patron. The PJ seized HKD50,000 in chips from the suspect, as well as HKD5,000 in leftover chips from the gambler’s losses.

Meanwhile, two other men were found conspiring with a gambler on a similar RMB45,000-for-HKD 50,000 chip swap in a Cotai casino’s smoking room. It is believed that the duo hats been engaging in these activities since November 2025, pocketing HKD7,000 in profits so date.

Police seized just slightly over HKD100,000 in chips from the two men during the arrest.

All cases involving “illegal money exchange operations for gambling purposes” have been transferred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for further investigation and accusation.

In a separate press announcement from the bureau, the PJ detailed a late-night patrol from 10 p.m. Feb. 2 to 1 a.m. Feb. 3, during which 25 PJ officers swept Cotai casinos and stopped 194 people: 121 men and 73 women. However, their statement reads that “no suspicious individuals were taken to the Judiciary Police station for further investigation.”

A prior report from the security authorities revealed a dramatic surge in “illegal gaming” cases from January through September 2025, rising from 40 the prior year to 434—a staggering 985% increase. In response to queries from the Times, the PJ attributed the jump mainly to illicit currency exchanges, where suspects offered these services to casino patrons inside and outside of gambling venues.