Three men from the mainland have been arrested for defrauding a male currency exchange dealer out of HK$100,000, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong said during a special press conference yesterday.
The three suspects are surnamed Luo, Ma and Hu aged between 27 and 40. Ma and Luo told the police they’re jobless, while Hu is a chef.
According to Chong, the trio approached the suspect in the wee hours of Monday outside a Cotai hotel to exchange money. They struck a deal in which the trio received HK$100,000 in cash for 94,300 yuan (106,400 patacas) that the victim paid online.
After the victim gave the money to Luo, Luo claimed that he needed to return to his lodgings to retrieve a “security USB drive” to complete the transaction as the transaction amount was “too large”. The victim then accompanied them to the inn to receive the money for the transaction, during which the suspects fled and the victim reported the case to the police.
Public Security Police (PSP) spokeswoman Cheong Im Sim said at the press conference that the victim was afraid of revealing his identity as he is an illegal money exchanger, so he told PSP officers that his backpack containing cash had been stolen instead.
Under questioning, the victim finally revealed the truth, and the trio were arrested in a hotel in Zape, with the help of the citywide CCTV surveillance system. The three suspects admitted to scamming the victim, and police found the scam proceeds on them.
Luo, Ma and Hu have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing a fraud charge, according to Cheong.
HK$ 1000 notes seized from the suspects are displayed during yesterday’s special press conference at the Judiciary Police (PJ) headquarters.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the three hooded mainland suspects to a police vehicle outside PJ headquarters in Zape. – Photo: William Chan
