The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested three men from the Chinese mainland on Saturday for usury and abetting an overstayer, PJ spokesman Cheong Un Hong said during a regular press conference yesterday.
Cheong identified the suspects as a 45-year-old male surnamed Li, a 47-year-old male surnamed Chen and a 36-year-old male surnamed Sun, all of whom claimed to be jobless.
According to Cheong, the police received a report on Saturday about a male gambler from the Chinese mainland who was being held in a hotel guestroom in Cotai due to debts from high-interest gambling loans.
Cheong noted that the victim had borrowed HK$50,000 from Li after gambling away all his money last Monday. The victim agreed to the loan of HK$50,000 in gambling chips under three conditions: 20 percent “interest” on each winning round, his identification card as “collateral”, and the requirement to sign an IOU.
After signing the IOU, Li and Chen accompanied the victim to gamble in a local casino. By 5 a.m. the victim had gambled away all his borrowed money. Li and Chen then confined the victim to a hotel guestroom in Cotai and arranged for Sun to watch over him while demanding repayment. By Friday, the victim had been moved to another guestroom. On Saturday, the victim managed to call a friend, who then reported the case to the police.
The police arrested the trio in the guestroom and seized three smartphones as well as the victim’s ID card. Cheong said that, while gambling, the victim was charged HK$20,000 in “interest” by the loan sharks.
Cheong added that the victim had overstayed his visit permit in Macau by one day. According to the victim’s statement, he was not detained against his will and was free to move around after gambling away all his borrowed money.
The trio have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing charges of usury and abetting an overstayer.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Un Hong looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference. – Photo: Ada Lei
