A domestic helper from the mainland has been arrested for stealing gold jewellery, watches and handbags worth a total of 1 million patacas from her employer, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Lou Chan Fai said during a special press conference yesterday.
The suspect is a 57-year-old woman surnamed Yang. She had worked for the male victim for two years.
According to Lou, the victim discovered the theft in his flat in Coloane and reported it to the police on Saturday. The Judiciary Police promptly contacted Yang, who had absconded to the mainland, and managed to persuade her to turn herself in. She complied with the request and was arrested at the Barrier Gate checkpoint yesterday.
Under questioning, Yang confessed that she has a gambling addiction. In the past, she had stolen her employer’s watch multiple times and pawned it to fuel her gambling habit. Whenever she won money, she would then redeem the watch. However, last week she gambled away all her pawned money and decided to steal valuables from her employers once again.
Yang was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing an aggravated theft charge, Lou said.
Evidence of theft such as gold jewellery and handbags is displayed at the Judiciary Police (PJ) conference room yesterday. – Photo: William Chan
