The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested a man from the Chinese mainland on Monday for livestreaming gambling sessions in a local casino to solicit online bets, PJ spokesman Lei Chi Hou said during a special press conference yesterday.
Lei identified the suspect as a 43-year-old unemployed man surnamed Zhang.
According to Lei, the Judiciary Police received a tip-off that someone was engaged in illegal online gambling activities at a casino in the central district. At around 10:30 a.m. on Monday, PJ officers conducted a targeted patrol operation. Lei added that during surveillance, officers observed Zhang behaving suspiciously while gambling at a baccarat table.
After noticing Zhang acting suspiciously, the officers intercepted him. The investigation revealed that Zhang was wearing specially modified clothing, Lei said, noting that a smartphone was fixed to the front of his shirt, with a small hole allowing the camera to secretly film the baccarat table.
Using a messaging application, Zhang livestreamed the baccarat table footage and, via a miniature in-ear receiver, took betting instructions from gamblers in the Chinese mainland to place bets on their behalf. Zhang had been running his “business” since mid-May, bringing tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars with him on each visit to Macau, and charging an hourly rate of around HK$1,000 (1,031 patacas).
By the time of his interception, Zhang had pocketed no less than HK$20,000 in illicit proceeds, Lei said.
From Zhang and his hotel guestroom in Cotai, PJ officers seized a total of HK$41,000 in casino chips, HK$4,050 in cash, several items of modified clothing, six smartphones, and a number of electronic devices including headphones and receivers. PJ officers believe the suspect acted alone and had, on at least eight occasions, assisted mainland gamblers through covert filming and betting activities, Lei said.
Zhang was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) yesterday, facing charges of illegal operation of online gambling and online mutual betting.
This undated photo provided by the Judiciary Police (PJ) yesterday shows various items of evidence seized from Zhang and his hotel guestroom in Cotai.
