Eight local men aged between 23 and 29 were cheated out of 180,000 patacas in total by a mainland gang that offered them gigolo jobs, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Leng Kam Lon said during a special press conference yesterday, adding that five suspects, three males and two females, were arrested separately between Wednesday and early yesterday morning for assisting the gang in collecting the proceeds through their mobile payment platforms and bank accounts.
After receiving the proceeds, the five local suspects aged between 28 and 38, transferred the money to each other to launder it and to deduct their “cut”, and each finally remitted the remaining proceeds to the bank accounts provided by the gang, according to Leng, who added that each transaction involved thousands to tens of thousands patacas.
The investigation as to where all the filthy lucre ended up and how many victims were involved was still ongoing, Leng said.
Leng pointed out that between July and August last year two of the victims reported to the Judiciary Police that they had applied online to be male prostitutes, providing sex services to female clients, adding that they were then required by a recruiter to pay for purported “hotel guestrooms, deposits and guarantee fees” in advance. However, after the victims paid the money, they lost contact with their recruiter, Leng said.
The Judiciary Police identified the five suspects based on their bank account details and arrested three of them at their flats in the northern district and in Taipa, while one was taken into custody at the Barrier Gate checkpoint on Wednesday and another one was arrested yesterday, according to Leng.
Leng said that all the suspects admitted that they had provided their bank account details to assist the gang in collecting the proceeds.
The quintet were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing charges of money laundering, fraud, and organised crime membership.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the five hooded fraud and money-laundering suspects to a PJ vehicle outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday.
– Photo: Yuki Lei
