Rise in crime in first half of 2024 amid tourism rebound

Crime has increased 14.6% in the first half of 2024 compared to the same period last year, reaching a total of 7,160 cases, according to data presented by Secretary for Security Wong Sio Chak at a press briefing yesterday.

The rise in criminal activity comes as Macau’s tourism industry experiences a strong rebound, with over 16.7 million visitors in the first six months, representing a 43.6% jump from 2023 and a 82.4% recovery compared to pre-pandemic levels.

“With the rapid recovery of Macau’s economy, the number of tourists increased significantly, bringing new challenges to the management of public security in the Region,” Wong said.

The largest increases were seen in crimes against heritage which rose 23.9% to 4,418 cases. Within this category, fraud cases jumped 50.8% to 1,394, theft increased 15.3% to 1,052 cases, and usury crimes surged 655.6%.

“Crimes against people” also saw a 22.1% rise to 1,191 cases, including a 55.6% spike in rape cases to 34 incidents.

Violent crimes increased 22.1% to 149 cases, though this was still down 53.9% from the first half of 2019. Kidnapping cases saw the biggest jump, rising 1,300% from just one case to 14.

Gaming-related crimes, which include fraud, loansharking and theft in casinos, jumped 62% year-on-year to 683 cases in the first six months.

Fraud cases linked to “money exchange gangs” operating in casinos surged 317% to 130 incidents. Police arrested 1,924 individuals associated with these gangs, with 927 banned from entering casinos. Meanwhile, Loansharking cases increased 86 to 104 instances, with 17 arrests made.

“To combat the rise in fraud, police have implemented a three-pronged strategy of prevention, recovery of funds, and enforcement,” said Wong. In the first half of 2024, police carried out 177 fraud prevention awareness campaigns reaching over 40,000 people.

“In response, the PJ established a publicity and deployment plan for fraud prevention awareness for college students through the Education and Youth Development Bureau and various colleges and universities, and planned to pursue participation in regulating anti-fraud publicity. We also cooperate to organize promotional activities for foreign students and post messaging on campuses across Macau to raise awareness.” Wong said.

From January to June of this year, authorities prosecuted a total of 4,614 cases of illegal pedestrian crossings, marking a four-fold increase compared to the same period in 2023. This surge is attributed to enhanced law enforcement efforts by the police, who have identified issues with pedestrian compliance regarding traffic regulations. To address these concerns, the police plan to intensify their enforcement actions in this area.

“In response to this situation, the bureau has been actively promoting awareness through various media platforms, including WeChat, Facebook, Instagram, and video displays on buses, reminding travelers to adhere to traffic rules,” Wong said.

“Additionally, the office has increased special patrols in areas where illegal pedestrian crossings are frequent, focusing particularly on driveways where pedestrians are observed crossing unlawfully and neglecting to use designated crossing facilities,” the official added.

The PJ’s Anti-Fraud Coordination Centre has created 19 direct communication groups with various sectors to alert them to scams. It has also cooperated with banks to freeze 292 accounts in mainland China linked to 50 Macau fraud cases, recovering over RMB9.38 million.

In the fight against illegal immigration, police detected 22 cases of aiding illegal entry in the first half of the year, down from 36 in the same period of 2019. Thirty ringleaders were arrested, a 47.4% decrease.

Despite the increases, Secretary Wong stressed that serious violent crimes like murder and kidnapping remain very rare in Macau, and the overall crime situation is under control, and social order is largely stable.

However, with the influx of tourists, the Secretary stated that authorities are closely monitoring risks of robbery, theft and gambling-related crimes. Police will implement targeted prevention and enforcement measures to ensure public safety. Nadia Shaw