Police arrest four in fake employment scheme

The Judiciary Police (PJ)have arrested four people in connection with a suspected fake employment scheme used to fraudulently obtain a non-resident worker permit, commonly known as a “blue-card.”

Those detained include two restaurant owners and two Vietnamese nationals.

According to police at a press conference yesterday, a Vietnamese worker in Macau allegedly accepted MOP2,000 to help a female compatriot secure a job through false employment procedures at a takeaway restaurant in the northern district.

Authorities said the arrangement allowed the woman to successfully obtain a blue-card despite never actually working at the restaurant.

Investigators believe the two restaurant owners helped facilitate the scheme by fabricating payroll records to avoid detection.

During the process, the Vietnamese woman reportedly paid the restaurant MOP40,000 in exchange for the arrangement.

The case was investigated following a request from the Public Prosecutions Office.

After completing their inquiry, PJ officers intercepted and detained the four suspects on Monday.

Police said the woman’s blue-card listed her occupation as a cook, but she had never worked at the restaurant and was instead believed to be employed as a masseuse at a massage center in the central district.

Domestic helper held over theft

Police arrested a 42-year-old Filipino domestic helper suspected of stealing valuables from her employer’s home, with losses estimated at MOP115,000.

According to PJ, the suspect was hired in September 2025. The employer discovered last week that MOP15,000 in red packet cash stored in a drawer at their Taipa residence had gone missing.

The helper initially admitted taking the money and agreed to write a letter of apology and return the funds.

However, further checks revealed additional missing items, including gold jewelry and cash worth about MOP100,000, which led the employer to report the case to police.

Investigators believe the suspect pawned the stolen items, sending part of the proceeds to the Philippines and losing the rest through gambling.