Five mainlanders have been arrested for deceiving a local elderly woman in a “divine healer blessing scam”, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lou Chan Fai said in a special press conference yesterday.
The five suspects, comprising three women and two men, are aged between 42 and 58. The quintet are from Maoming in western Guangdong.
According to Lou, on Saturday, the victim was walking in Areia Preta district when she was approached by a woman surnamed Chen, who asked if she knew of a certain “divine healer”. Almost immediately, another woman surnamed Luo appeared and claimed she could lead them to the “divine healer”. The victim, who suffers from chronic illnesses, decided to follow the two women in search of the “divine healer”.
Upon reaching a residential building in the Iao Hon district, a man and a woman, both surnamed Lin, emerged and introduced themselves as grandchildren of the “divine healer”. They asserted that the “divine healer” possessed the ability to cure illnesses and provide blessings to ward off disasters. They also told the victim that her son was in danger and that her house was haunted.
To resolve these “issues”, the fraudsters suggested that the victim retrieve jewellery and cash from her home for the purpose of seeking blessings. Subsequently, Luo accompanied the victim to her flat to retrieve the valuables.
Later that day, the victim returned to the building with the jewellery and cash, which she placed in a black plastic bag containing bottles of water. The bag was then sealed with adhesive tape. The suspects instructed the victim to bow three times towards the east before retrieving the bag, emphasising that it should only be opened after returning home.
The victim later discovered only two bottles of mineral water and two boxes of beverages, while the cash and jewellery had vanished. She promptly reported the case to the police, estimating a loss of 130,000 patacas.
The five suspects were arrested in a hotel in Zape later that day. Under questioning, four of the five suspects admitted to the crime.
The quintet were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing charges of organised crime and fraud, Lou noted.
Evidence including banknotes and jewellery is displayed during yesterday’s special press conference at the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters in Zape. – Photo: William Chan
