A female dealer and three female accomplices were arrested on Monday for cheating a local casino out of over HK$2.18 million between the end of last month and Monday, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Ho Chan Nam said at a special press conference yesterday.
The four suspects comprise a 36-year-old local dealer surnamed Cheong who worked for the casino for more than a year while the other three jobless suspects from the mainland are – a 32-year-old woman surnamed Guo, a 43-year-old woman surnamed Liu, and a 44-year-old woman surnamed Yang.
According to Ho, a casino in Cotai reported to the Judiciary Police last Wednesday that the casino’s supervisors discovered on May 28 that one of their casino dealers surnamed Cheong had left early that day. The casino’s surveillance footage discovered that Cheong met with two female gamblers (Guo and a woman who was still on the run at the time of the press conference) near the casino. The women’s abnormal behaviour aroused the supervisors’ suspicion, so they further scrutinised the casino’s surveillance footage and discovered that Cheong had cheated the casino out of money while on duty between May 28 and June 2.
Ho said that on various occasions Cheong started the games even though there were no gamblers or other casino staff present at her baccarat game table. Her accomplices would then appear at the table and immediately bet after learning the result of the game, after which Cheong paid out the winnings, each payout ranging from HK$60,000 to HK$150,000.
Ho said that the Judiciary Police identified the suspects and put them under surveillance. PJ officers discovered that Guo, Liu and the still unidentified woman returned to the mainland on June 2. Guo and Liu re-entered Macau on Monday and met with Yang. At about 11 p.m., the trio went to the casino where Cheong was on duty that night. They bet HK$60,000 and Cheong paid them winnings of HK$120,000. PJ officers at the scene immediately arrested them. According to the investigation, the gang cheated the casino at least 18 times between May 28 and Monday. The casino reported a loss of at least HK$2.18 million.
Under questioning, Cheong, Liu, and Yang refused to cooperate with the police, while Guo claimed that she had been instructed by a kingpin to arrange for the gang members to meet in Zhuhai in mid-May to cook up the scheme. They took advantage of Cheong’s position as a casino dealer. Guo was tasked with placing the arranged bets and receiving the winnings, while the other gang members acted as lookouts, exchanged the chips into cash at the casino, and then distributed the cash among the gang members. Cheong got half of the winnings, the kingpin got 20 percent and the accomplices shared the remaining 30 percent. PJ officers later conducted a search in Cheong’s home in Rua Nova à Guia and seized HK$60,000 in cash, according to Ho.
Ho said the Judiciary Police are continuing to look for the kingpin, the suspect who was still on the run at the time of the press conference, and the remaining filthy lucre.
The quartet were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing charges of organised crime while Cheong also faces an embezzlement charge punishable by up to eight years behind bars, based on her situation as the employee of a public concession company, according to articles 336 and 340 of the Macau Penal Code.
The four hooded suspects are escorted by Judiciary Police (PJ) officers from the PJ headquarters to a PJ vehicle yesterday.
Evidence seized from the suspects such as Hong Kong dollar notes, 12 HK$10,000 gaming chips and four smartphones is displayed at the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters yesterday. Photos: Iong Tat Choi
