Two local men have been arrested for aiding and abetting three overstayers from the mainland, Public Security Police (PSP) spokesman Wong Wai Chon said during a regular press conference yesterday.
Wong identified the two suspects as a 40-year-old male taxi driver surnamed Chan and a 45-year-old male real estate agent surnamed Lam. The overstayers are a family from the mainland comprising the father surnamed Luo, his wife surnamed Jia and their infant daughter who is seven months old. They legally entered Macau on March 23.
According to Wong, while the family was travelling in a taxi on March 30 when their entry permit had expired, the taxi driver learnt that Luo’s family needed to rent a flat. Wong said that the driver then introduced the family to another cabbie, Chan, who could help rent a flat.
Later, Chan took the family to meet with Lam who found another local resident to sign a rent contract on the overstayers’ behalf in the Fai Chi Kei district for HK$6,800 per month. Luo then paid HK$27,200 in rent, deposit and commission to Lam, around HK$10,000 to the two cabbies as “recommendation fees” and HK$1,500 for the person signing the contract, and the family began living in the flat on April 10.
On Saturday afternoon while conducting routine checks in the Inner Harbour district, PSP officers intercepted Jia and discovered that she had been overstaying, leading to the arrest of the family. Luo told the police that the family overstayed in Macau so that Jia could gamble.
The police summoned Chan and Lam for questioning, and they admitted to helping the family rent a flat. They claimed that they assumed they were tourists but did not know they were overstayers. The police are currently investigating the whereabouts of the other taxi driver and contract signer involved.
The case has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP). Chan and Lam face charges of aiding and abetting. According to Wong, Luo also faces the same charge as Jia’s permit expired before his in late March, during which he rented a hotel room in his name while also allowing his wife to stay in it.
Public Security Police (PSP) spokesman Wong Wai Chon looks on during yesterday’s press conference.
– Photo: William Chan
