A casino dealer and a local gambler were arrested for scamming a casino out of over HK$200,000, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong said during a regular press conference yesterday.
The female 42-year-old casino dealer is surnamed Ng. The local male gambler, aged 72, is surnamed Lao.
According to Chong, the police received a report from the casino on Thursday that one of their casino dealers, Ng, had intentionally given extra casino chips to a gambler, and was discovered by a casino staff member.
After scrutinising CCTV footage, the police apprehended the duo the same day.
Under questioning, Ng confessed that she had colluded with the gambler since last month to defraud the casino out of over HK$200,000.
Chong noted that the suspects strategically chose busy times in the casino when Ng was on duty. At one of these times, Ng exchanged seven HK$10,000 chips for HK$10,000 cash from the gambler, disguising it as a valid exchange.
Upon investigation, PJ officers discovered that the duo had been committing fraud by giving and receiving extra chips since November, in which at least four crimes were committed on December 1, 9 and 10, as well as the day they were arrested, and the casino reported a loss of at least HK$202,000, Chong said.
During the investigation, police found HK$12,000 in cash in a locker at Ng’s workplace, as well as 10,500 patacas and HK$4,000 in her flat, Chong said, adding that HK$74,000 in cash and HK$350 in chips were found on Lao, while HK$175,000 in cash was found in his flat, all of which were suspected to be illegally obtained from the fraud.
The duo have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing charges of fraud involving a considerably large amount of money.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference. – Photo: Ginnie Liang
