The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested a couple from the Chinese mainland for illegal currency exchange on Thursday, PJ spokesman Cheong Kim Fong said during a special press conference on Friday.
Cheong identified the couple as a 57-year-old female dishwasher surnamed Liu and a 59-year-old male surnamed Xie. Cheong also said that the witness is a middle-aged male mainlander surnamed Zhao.
According to Cheong, on Thursday, PJ officers noticed that Liu, Xie and Zhao were behaving suspiciously in a casino in Zape, adding that Xie was displaying a QR code to Zhao.
After Zhao activated an app on his smartphone, Cheong said that Liu handed HK$4,000 (4,100 patacas) in cash to Zhao, he then entered the casino and exchanged the cash for gambling chips. PJ officers intervened and intercepted the trio, Cheong said.
The investigation revealed that Liu and Xie had approached Zhao, offering to exchange 3,680 yuan for HK$4,000, Cheong said, adding that the couple earned HK$100 from illegal transaction.
Cheong also said that PJ officers seized HK$90,000 and two smartphones from the couple.
The couple were transferred to the Public Prosecution Officer (MP) on Friday, each facing a charge of illegal currency exchange.
Judiciary Police (PJ) officers escort the hooded suspects to a PJ van outside the PJ headquarters in Zape on Friday. – Photo: Armindo Neves
