PJ records 30% fewer casino-related offenses last year

About 30% less crimes related to casinos were recorded year-on-year in 2022, the Judiciary Police (PJ) stated in its annual criminal report.

To be exact, the police logged 965 cases that involved casinos last year.

Cases of usury for gambling, related deprivations of freedom of movement, and fraud and robbery connected with currency exchange syndicates have all decreased year-on-year, the police added.

The main reason behind the drop was the decrease in tourists and gaming activities, according to the police analysis.

The gambling crime coordination center and criminal investigations stationing mechanism under the police maintain 24-hour operations. Routine and spot inspections inside and outside casinos are constantly conducted to curb gambling-related crimes and surrounding illegal activities.

Close contact is maintained with the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau (DICJ) and casino operators to conduct joint inspections and to create a linkage mechanism to strengthen the crackdown on fake websites that fraudulently use the name of local casino operators.

Efforts have also been exerted to cooperate with the Public Security Police Force (PSP) and casino operators to curb illegal currency or monetary exchange activities. Last year, the joint forces intercepted more than 3,500 currency-exchanging syndicates members. The names of 126 people were reported to the DICJ to prohibit them from entering local casinos.

The PJ admitted that currency exchange fraud using replicated or counterfeited bank notes had risen. In the hopes of controlling the situation, the PJ pledged to further crackdown on such crimes and run campaigns against this type of crime.

Further to this effect, the PJ held six workshop sessions on preventing casino-related crimes last year. A total of 277 trade practitioners attended the sessions. The PJ considered it a means of promoting police-public cooperation.

Amid the promulgation of the reviewed Gambling Law and its supporting laws and regulations, the PJ “exerted great efforts” in cracking down on criminal syndicates. It also revealed that the government was preparing to commence the legislative process for illegal gambling and related crimes.

The PJ sees these efforts as part of an effort to promote the healthy development of the local casino market and provide “strong legal tools” to prevent and crack down on gambling-related crimes.

“This is the first year of a new development stage for the gambling industry in Macau. Based on the positive cooperation with relevant government departments in the past, the PJ will strive to encourage the industry to fulfil its responsibility of maintaining national and regional security,” the PJ concluded.

Sex offenses up

On sex-related crimes, the PJ pointed out that such crimes have increased in recent years.

In particular, cases involving those under the age of criminal responsibility were transferred to the prosecution last year, many of whom were involved in sex-related crimes. The situation deserves public attention, the police added.

The city saw 21 rape cases last year, nine cases short from the previous year. Nonetheless, the number of sex crimes against the underaged nearly doubled year-on-year, reaching 21 cases in 2022. The number of sexual harassment cases also doubled year-on-year.

Cases concerning pornography depicting minors reached 176 cases, 33 more than the previous year.

The PJ pledged that it would deepen cooperation with the social welfare and education sectors to better educate children on protecting themselves.

Crime down overall

The Judiciary Police said that it had recorded a total of 8,612 criminal cases in 2022, a drop of 10.1% from a year earlier.

Among the cases, a total of 4,470 were investigated and reported, a decrease of 9.1% compared with the figure of 2021, PJ added in a statement.

The Judiciary Police transferred 1,265 suspects for prosecution in 2022, 30.9% lower than that of 2021.

Serious crimes remained at a low level, with one homicide case and one serious assault reported in the whole year of 2022, according to the press release.

Meanwhile, fraud, information and drug-related crimes in 2022 also registered drops from a year earlier, it added.