A mainland man was arrested on Tuesday when re-entering Macau via the Barrier Gate checkpoint for cheating 13 Indonesians out of a total of 124,300 patacas by claiming that he could introduce them to employers to work as kitchen staff, delivery workers or cleaners in Macau, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong said yesterday, adding that the 27-year-old suspect had gambled away all the victims’ money.
The suspect surnamed Chen, who worked as a horticulturist until June last year, is currently unemployed, according to Chong.
The Judiciary Police, Chong said during yesterday’s regular press conference, received separate reports from the victims – 12 males and 1 female – on June 4-21 last year about their respective losses of between 6,000 patacas and 10,000 as “referral fees” in a job-hunting scam, saying that they had been introduced to Chen, a man who claimed to be able to introduce them to employers for jobs in the kitchen, delivery and cleaning sectors in Macau. The victims also told police that they paid Chen a total of 124,300 patacas for the purported referral fee according to their preferred occupation, adding that Chen did not introduce any employers to the victims and finally cut any contact with them, after receiving the money.
Under questioning, according to Chong, Chen admitted that he was unable to arrange any job referrals for the victims, insisting that he gambled away all the money he had obtained by deception.
Chen was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing fraud charges involving a large amount of money, Chong noted.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference at the Public Security Police (PSP) pressroom. – Photo: Yuki Lei
