A Hong Kong man, who resigned from a Macau church in early 2023, has been arrested for repeatedly stealing from the church’s donation boxes.
The suspect allegedly used a retained key to sneak into the premises during the early morning hours, stealing a total of about 50,000 patacas.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Un Hong disclosed the details during a press conference yesterday. The suspect, a 29-year-old surnamed Mok, currently works as a clerk in Hong Kong. He previously served the church in Macau as a non-resident worker (NRW), where his duties included organising activities and events.
According to Cheong, although Mok resigned from the church – located in the peninsula’s central district – in early 2023, he failed to return his key. The church only recently became aware of the thefts after noticing that monthly donation totals were significantly lower than usual. Following a careful internal investigation, a church representative reported the case to the police on Tuesday.
The police quickly identified Mok and intercepted him at the Outer Harbour Ferry Terminal on Tuesday as he was attempting to leave Macau.
Investigations confirmed that Mok had been entering the church several times a month since early last year. To avoid detection, he only took a small amount of the cash each time, averaging between 3,000 and 4,000 patacas per month.
Mok admitted to the stealing spree, telling police he used the 50,000 patacas to cover his daily living expenses. He has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) for further investigation.
Judiciary Police (PJ) spokesman Cheong Un Hong looks on during yesterday’s regular press conference. – Photo: Tony Wong
This undated handout photo provided by the Judiciary Police (PJ) yesterday shows evidence seized from the suspected thief.
