The Public Security Police (PSP) arrested two loan sharks from the mainland on Tuesday outside a casino on Avenida da Prosperidade in Taipa for attacking and robbing HK$127,000 in cash from a man, whose fellow townsman had borrowed chips worth HK$320,000 from the duo, a PSP spokesperson said at a regular press conference on Friday.
According to the spokesperson, each of the two jobless suspects, both surnamed Dai aged in their thirties and forties respectively, hold an Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau (colloquially known as Two-way Permit). The duo are related.
A PSP investigation showed that the victim from the mainland first met the duo in September last year, and later introduced a gambler, who was from the same hometown, to the duo in early December last year to borrow money for gambling. Under the deal of paying 20 percent “interest” on each win, the two loan sharks lent the gambler chips worth HK$320,000. Subsequently, the duo lost contact with the gambler.
The spokesperson said that the victim met the duo again at a casino in Taipa at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, when the two Dais required him to repay the debt on behalf of the gambler, adding that after he refused to repay the debt, the victim was then taken outside the casino, so he called the police by claiming to phone a friend to ask him for money.
The victim was punched in the head and abdomen after the duo had discovered the purpose of his call. He was then robbed of HK$127,000 by the duo, according to the spokesperson.
The victim told the police that he had recommended his fellow townsman to borrow money from the duo for gambling but did not receive any benefit from any of them, adding that the two suspects had collected more than HK$320,000 in interest during the course of gambling by his townsman.
The two suspects have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing charges of usury and robbery, the spokesperson noted.
This undated handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) on Friday shows police officers escorting the two suspected loan sharks from the mainland to a police station in Taipa.
