A local man was arrested on Wednesday for stealing a local casino’s rechargeable batteries on multiple occasions last month, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Leng Kam Lon said at a special press conference yesterday.
The 45-year-old jobless suspect surnamed Chan told the police that he had worked as an air-conditioning repairman for the casino in Cotai four years ago.
According to Leng, a staff member of a casino resort in Cotai reported to the Judiciary Police on July 6 that 748 rechargeable batteries which were stored in the staff car park for backup had disappeared. The staff told the police that the batteries were to be recycled and that the total purchase price of the batteries was 263,000 patacas.
Leng said PJ officers identified Chan and arrested him on Wednesday at his home in Fai Chi Kei district. Under questioning, Chan admitted to stealing the batteries on six or seven occasions since early last month. He lost his job in February after which he turned to crime to earn a living. He took a trolley to the casino hotel’s staff car park and stole about 60 to 70 batteries each time. After he removed the batteries from the car park he hired a lorry to deliver the batteries to a waste disposal outlet in Areia Preta selling them for 20,000 patacas in total. He told the police that he had spent all the money.
Chan was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing an aggravated theft charge, according to Leng.
The theft suspect is being escorted by Judiciary Police (PJ) officers from the PJ headquarters to a PJ vehicle yesterday. Photos courtesy of TDM
Evidence seized from the theft suspect such as a rechargeable battery and the clothes he wore when committing the theft is displayed during yesterday’s press conference about the theft case at the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters.
