The Judiciary Police separately arrested four men from the mainland on Tuesday for engaging in illegal currency exchange activities, Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Chong Kam Leong said during a special press conference yesterday.
In the first case, there are three suspects. Chong identified the suspects as a 31-year-old man surnamed Wang who told the police that he is a worker, a 34-year-old man surnamed Shao and a 34-year-old man surnamed Zhuang who both told the police that they’re jobless.
According to Chong, on Tuesday afternoon, PJ officers on patrol noticed Wang engaging in an illegal currency exchange deal with a male gambler in a casino in Cotai. Wang presented a QR code for the gambler to transfer money, but the gambler attempted to transfer the money but failed. Wang then asked Shao and Zhuang to assist the gambler with the transaction. The gambler also sought help from a female gambler for the transfer. Finally, after successfully completing the transfer, Wang handed over HK$10,000 in chips to the gambler. Wang, Shao, Zhuang, and the two gamblers were caught red-handed, and the two gamblers agreed to act as witnesses in the case. During questioning, Wang admitted to participating in illegal currency exchange activities, but only this month, claiming to have earned over 500 yuan in total. Shao confessed to having engaged in illegal currency activities since last month. He told the police that he had earned HK$1,000 in total. Zhuang also admitted to having engaged in illegal currency activities since the beginning of this month, claiming a total profit of 1,000 yuan. The police confiscated HK$75,000 in chips, HK$16,000 in cash, and three mobile phones from the trio.
In the second case, Chong identified the suspect as a 39-year-old man surnamed Qu, who told the police that he is jobless.
According to Chong, the police received a report about illegal currency exchange activities from a casino in the central district on Tuesday. The police monitored Qu at the casino and arrested him after he had struck in an illegal exchange deal with a gambler. Qu approached the gambler and offered to exchange chips worth HK$5,000 for 4,900 yuan. The gambler agreed and transferred the money after scanning a QR code provided by Qu. Both Qu and the gambler were apprehended at the scene, with the gambler cooperating as a witness in the investigation. Under questioning, Qu admitted to having engaged in illegal currency exchange activities since June 2024, claiming to have earned HK$150 for every HK$10,000 exchanged, amounting to a total profit of HK$300,000. The police seized two mobile phones, HK$146,000 in chips, and HK$20,000 in cash from Qu, along with the HK$5,000 in chips from the gambler.
The four suspects in the two cases were transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing illegal currency exchange charges.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the three hooded illegal currency exchange suspects to a PJ van outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the hooded illegal currency exchange suspect to a PJ van outside the PJ headquarters in Zape yesterday. – Photos: Ada Lei
