A 26-year-old baker addicted to gambling stole 15,000 patacas in cash from his colleague’s handbag and gambled away all the ill-gotten money last week, a Public Security Police (PSP) spokesperson said during a regular press conference on Friday.
The spokesperson identified the suspect as a non-resident worker from the mainland surnamed Zhuo, while the victim is a local woman who works at the same bakery in Avenida Dr Sun Yat Sen in Taipa.
On Wednesday afternoon last week when she was working at the bakery, the woman discovered that 15,000 patacas in cash in her purse had vanished from her handbag, the spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson, the woman questioned Zhuo who admitted that he had stolen the 15,000 patacas and gambled away the loot.
Zhuo promised to return the 15,000 patacas to the woman when getting off work later that day. However, the spokesperson said, the woman discovered that Zhuo had disappeared when she left work. She reported the case to the police.
After scrutinising the police forces’ citywide CCTV camera system, PSP officers identified Zhuo as the suspect, and arrested him the next day near the bakery, the spokesperson said.
Zhuo admitted to stealing the 15,000 patacas from his colleague in the bakery.
Zhuo has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) for further questioning.
This undated handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) on Friday shows two PSP officers escorting the theft suspect to a police station in Taipa earlier last week.
