Public Security Police (PSP) officers recently busted an illegal mahjong parlour in Iao Hon district, and a 20-year-old man lied about being the operator of the place in exchange for 50,000 patacas from the actual operator, PSP spokesman Leong Chi Seng said at a regular press conference on Friday.
According to Leong, police officers busted the venue, which was disguised as a shop, last Wednesday, and arrested five local residents and 20 gamblers. Leong noted that at the scene the officers seized 540 patacas and five mahjong tables. After a preliminary investigation, a 50-year-old man, surnamed Chan, admitted that he was one of the managers in charge of the operation of the parlour, adding that he received 8,000 patacas as a monthly salary. Leong said that Chan told the police that customers were charged 100 patacas per hour to use a mahjong table, and he also said that there was another female manager, surnamed Lam, who was later arrested.
Leong said that when the police were still investigating the case, a 20-year-old man, surnamed Fong, went to a police station to “admit” to being the operator of the parlour. However, Leong added, after further questioning, Fong was unable to provide details of the daily functioning of the venue, and later admitted that he was asked to lie to the police for 20,000 patacas. Leong pointed out that the real owner, a local woman aged 30, surnamed Vong, told Fong that after the case was closed, she would pay him another 30,000 patacas.
Leong said that after arresting Vong, she admitted that she had been running the parlour since August last year, adding that in March she spent 7,000 patacas to find Fong through an “agent” to pretend to be the owner of the parlour. Leong said that the case was still being investigated at the time of the press conference.
