Two local men and a non-resident worker were arrested for using other people’s government-issued consumption subsidy smartcards which they found in the street, the Public Security Police (PSP) announced on Friday.
The two local suspects are a 64-year-old jobless man surnamed Chong and 70-year-old man surnamed Wong who works as a cashier in a snooker hall. The non-resident suspect is a Filipina in her forties whose surname was not released.
A local man reported to the police recently that after losing his “siu fai kat” (as the consumption subsidy smartcards are known in Cantonese) he discovered that his card had consumption records on May 22, 23 and 24. Thanks to CCTV footage, the police confirmed that Chong went to the same supermarket in Rua Nova da Areia Preta for three consecutive days using the card to buy items for about 130 patacas on May 22 and bought two 300-pataca gift coupons, once on May 23 and again on 24, according to the message.
The police arrested Chong at 8:30 p.m. on Wednesday in Rua Nova da Areia Preta. Under questioning, Chong told the police that he had found the card in Avenida dos Jardins do Oceano in Taipa and used it afterwards.
A local woman also reported to the police recently that she had lost her “siu fai kat”, suspecting that someone had found it and used it. The police discovered that the victim’s card had been used between May 21 and 25. It was first used in a supermarket for about 130 patacas and later on several occasions in a snooker hall in the northern district, the police confirmed.
The police officers went to the snooker hall on Tuesday morning to investigate and thanks to CCTV footage the police discovered that Wong worked there as the cashier. The footage showed that Wong used the card to obtain cash from the till.
Wong was arrested by the police at 12:30 p.m. on Tuesday when he went to work. Under questioning, Wong confirmed that he used the card after finding it on May 21.
A man reported to the police recently that he lost his son’s “siu fai kat” and later discovered when checking the balance online that someone had spent 160 patacas with it.
The police tracked down a Filipina and intercepted her on Tuesday in the lobby of the residential building where she lives. The woman said that she had found the victim’s card in the Avenida de Horta e Costa area earlier that day and immediately used it to buy bread and two pairs of shorts, after which she discarded the card in a rubbish bin, according to the police.
The three suspects have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP), facing a theft-by-finding charge, according to the police.
