A local man was arrested on Tuesday for his alleged involvement in a blackmail case where he laundered the money collected from the scam, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Leng Kam Lon said at a special press conference yesterday.
Leng said the 39-year-old suspect surnamed Choi told the police that he’s a tour guide.
According to Leng, a local man in his thirties reported to the police that his mother in her eighties had been blackmailed in a phone call on February 20 at 11 a.m. During the call, a man told her that her son had flirted with a married woman and had been involved in a fight. The fraudster demanded the victim pay 50,000 patacas as “compensation” and said that someone would go to her home in the northern district to collect the money.
The terrified victim then told the man that she didn’t have 50,000 patacas in cash, and he agreed the victim pay him 35,000 patacas. A woman went to their home to collect the money two hours later, after which the victim contacted her son and discovered that she had been scammed. Leng underlined that the victim’s son was working during the incident.
According to Leng, CCTV footage showed the woman who collected the money then give the money to a man, after which he gave the money to Choi who went to a jewellery shop in Nape later that day.
Choi was arrested at his home in the northern district on Monday. Leng added that Choi used the 35,000 patacas to buy cryptocurrency at the jewellery shop that day.
Under questioning, Choi said that he was promised 400 patacas upon completing the task, but he refused to cooperate further. The police are still investigating other possible suspects in the case, such as the two people who collected and handed over the money to Choi respectively.
Choi was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing money laundering and fraud charges, according to Leng.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the hooded suspect from the PJ headquarters in Zape to a vehicle yesterday. – Photos: William Chan
Banknotes retrieved from the jewellery shop and electronic devices seized from the suspect are displayed in a pressroom at the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters yesterday.
