The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested a man from the Chinese mainland for stealing and gambling away his girlfriend’s money on Chinese New Year’s Eve, PJ spokesman Cheong Siu Keong said during a special press conference on Wednesday.
Cheong identified the suspect as a 44-year-old man surnamed Wu who claimed to be jobless.
Cheong said that on Valentine’s Day, February 14, a mainland woman and her boyfriend, Wu, checked into a hotel guestroom in Cotai and put HK$500,000 in cash into the in-room safe.
On Monday, Chinese New Year’s Eve, Cheong said that when the victim woke up she discovered that the money had vanished and Wu was uncontactable, prompting her to report the case to the police. Upon investigation, Cheong said, PJ officers intercepted Wu in the evening, adding that Wu admitted to stealing the money and gambling it all away in a casino in the city centre.
Wu was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Wednesday, facing a theft charge.
Police nab mainlander for stealing gaming chips involving HK$700,000 from friend
Meanwhile, the Judiciary Police (PJ) nabbed a man from the Chinese mainland for stealing gaming chips worth HK$700,000 from a male friend, PJ spokesman Cheong Siu Keong said during a special press conference on Wednesday.
Cheong identified the suspect as a 36-year-old business man surnamed Zhang.
According to Cheong, the victim arrived in Macau on February 10 for gambling and stayed in a Cotai hotel guestroom booked by Zhang. In the early morning of Chinese New Year’s Eve, last Monday, Cheong said that the victim placed a bag containing HK$700,000 in gaming chips on a chair in the room before going to bed. Upon waking up on Tuesday morning, the victim found that Cheong had returned to the room, confessing that he had gambling away all the HK$700,000 worth of chips, according to Cheong, adding that the victim reported the matter to the police right away.
Zhang confessed that he had returned to the room around 7 a.m. on that day, stolen the chips and then gambled them away in the casino.
Zhang was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Wednesday, facing a theft charge.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the hooded theft suspect surnamed Wu to a PJ van outside the PJ headquarters in Zape on Wednesday. – Photo: Armindo Neves
