A 16-year-old female and a man, both from the mainland, have been arrested for beating, blackmailing and falsely imprisoning a female illegal immigrant, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Kim Fong said during a regular press conference yesterday.
The female suspect surnamed Zhou told the police that she’s a school dropout. The 29-year-old male suspect surnamed Zhao told the police he’s the owner of a restaurant. The victim, who entered Macau illegally in January and had overstayed in the past, is banned from entering Macau.
According to Cheong, the victim became acquainted with Zhou at a casino resort in Cotai. On Monday, Zhou invited the victim to a hotel room for a chat. Upon entering the room, the victim was both Zhou and Zhao there. They alleged that the victim’s former boyfriend owed them 50,000 patacas. However, the victim said that she had ended the relationship and refused to pay his debts.
Subsequently, the duo began physically assaulting the victim. In an attempt to escape, the victim made an effort to leave the room but was forcibly dragged back and subjected to further violence, resulting in multiple injuries.
Eventually, the victim managed to borrow 10,000 yuan and handed it over to Zhou and Zhao. The suspects then threatened the victim, warning her not to report the incident to the police, or else they would expose her status as an overstayer and that she works as a prostitute.
The duo falsely imprisoned her until Tuesday. When they eventually released her, she sought assistance from the hotel staff, who promptly reported the case to the police. This led to the arrest of Zhou and Zhao.
Under questioning, the duo denied the accusations.
The duo have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing charges of blackmail and illegal imprisonment, Cheong said.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Kim Fong looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference.
– Photo: William Chan
