Police crack down on illegal gambling operation in NAPE

A police operation uncovered a large-scale illegal gambling operation in an apartment in NAPE area.

Authorities discovered two gambling tables, a poker machine, a large quantity of chips, and several decks of beer cards.

Seven individuals were found playing poker at one of the tables. The group had reportedly met in an online forum specifically for gambling.

A Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesperson, Chau Ting Kim, revealed that the flat, rented for HKD13,000 a month, had been used since August last year to run a gambling operation.

“The total amount of bets placed in each game ranged from HKD1,000 to HKD1,500, and the daily profit was estimated at HKD4,000 to HKD5,000,” said Chau.

The man who rented the flat had reportedly taken 5% of the betting pool for each game as his personal profit.

The spokesperson added that one suspect, a second man hired to handle the cards, received a daily salary of MOP500.

The suspects are believed to have made approximately MOP400,000 in profits since the operation began.

In addition to the seven gamblers, a man who claimed to be a bystander was arrested on suspicion of involvement in the operation.

In a separate case, a young woman has reported a loss of HKD 894,000 in a scam involving a phone call from someone claiming to be from the Shanghai Public Security Bureau, demanding her cooperation in an investigation.

“The victim was tricked into sharing her banking details, realizing only later that her online bank account had been compromised,” Chau explained.

Additionally, a middle-aged woman fell victim to a virtual currency investment scam.

Persuaded by an online acquaintance, she invested in a virtual currency platform, eventually losing HKD647,000. She later reported the scam to the police after realizing she had been deceived. Staff Reporter