A self-proclaimed “middleman” from the mainland has been arrested after assaulting and robbing the smartphone from a mainlander who had arranged an illegal currency exchange job through the suspect, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokeswoman Lei Hon Nei said during a special press conference yesterday.
The 37-year-old suspect surnamed Wang told the police that he’s jobless.
According to Lei, three men from the mainland recently watched a video on an online platform which claimed that Wang could arrange a currency exchange job in Macau which would be “highly profitable”. They then paid Wang intermediary fees of between 8,000 yuan (9,140 patacas) and 10,000 yuan. Wang took them to a casino in Zape to help them start their currency-exchange business on Wednesday.
Lei noted that the three mainlanders were soon driven away by casino security guards and they were unable to earn the daily return of 2,000 yuan to 3,000 yuan as promised by Wang. The three men demanded Wang return their money on Saturday evening in a hotel room in Zape, during which one of the victims threatened to report the case to the police, leading Wang to attack the victim and rob his phone before fleeing.
The victim suffered minor head injuries, resulting in bruises.
Wang was intercepted that same evening at 8 p.m. when he was gambling in another casino in Zape. He admitted to attacking the victim and robbing his phone.
Wang was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing a robbery charge, according to Lei.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the hooded suspect to a PJ vehicle outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday. – Photo: William Chan
