The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested two mainland men on Saturday for engaging in casino loansharking activities, PJ spokesman Lei Chi Hou said during a regular press conference yesterday.
Lei identified the suspects as a 38-year-old businessman surnamed Sun and a 43-year-old male surnamed Li who claimed to be jobless.
According to Lei, the Judiciary Police (PJ) received a referral from the Public Security Police (PSP) on Saturday about a loansharking activity in a casino in Cotai. On Friday afternoon, a middle-aged male gambler from the mainland was approached by a man, who remained at large at the time of the press conference, offering to lend him money. After negotiating the loan terms with the man, along with Li and Sun in the gambler’s hotel guestroom, they agreed on a loan of HK$200,000, with 20 percent of the betting money of each winning round to be taken as “interest,” after which the gambler signed an IOU.
The loan sharks then took the gambler to a casino in Cotai. The man, who had approached him, then gave him HK$200,000 in chips to gamble with and collected “interest”, while Li and Sun watched the gambler. After the latter had gambled away all the money, Li and Sun took him back to the guestroom for repayment. However, the gambler could not repay the debts. While in the room, he took the opportunity to call the casino public relations for help.
The police later apprehended Li and Sun in the guestroom and seized two mobile phones from them. The police discovered that a total of HK$200,000 had been taken as “interest” during the gambling.
Under questioning, Sun admitted to having engaged in loansharking activities while Li refused to cooperate.
The duo have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), each facing a charge of usury.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lei Chi Hou looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference. – Photo: Ada Lei
