Case involves fake nucleic acid test certificate
A male mainlander was arrested for illegally entering Macau and three suspects were arrested for assisting him in obtaining false documents and a fake nucleic acid test (NAT) certificate so that he could gamble in local casinos, Public Security Police (PSP) spokeswoman Lai In Hong said at a regular press conference on Monday.
The illegal immigrant suspect surnamed Yuan, who is in his twenties, is from the mainland. The other three suspects are members of a people-smuggling gang – a male Hong Kong resident in his thirties also surnamed Yuan and two mainlanders in their twenties each holding an Exit-Entry Permit for Travelling to and from Hong Kong and Macau (informally known as “two-way permit”) – a female surnamed Zhou and a male surnamed Wang.
According to Lai, the illegal immigrant was intercepted by PSP officers during a routine patrol last Thursday at about 1:30 p.m. in Rua de Pequim in Nape. He admitted that he illegally came to Macau from the mainland in the middle of this year to gamble in local casinos. The illegal immigrant told the police that he was barred from entering Macau for one year for overstaying and refusing to pay a fine in March. He said that a friend introduced him to someone who was able to help produce false documents and arrange illegal entry by boat into Macau. He paid 35,000 yuan for the deal.
Lai said when the illegal immigrant arrived at the Macau peninsula, the suspect from Hong Kong arranged for a driver to pick him up and assist him in checking into a hotel. Then a woman came to his guestroom to give him a fake “two-way permit” and taught him how to use the permit’s information to submit an online health declaration required to enter casinos.
The illegal immigrant told the police that he had been using the false documents to enter casinos until he was intercepted. PSP officers later identified the other three suspects and arrested Yuan (the suspect from Hong Kong), Zhou and Wang in Cotai.
Under questioning, the Hong Kong suspect admitted that he assisted the illegal immigrant in obtaining the false permit and fake NAT certificate, apart from providing transfers and accommodation services.
According to Lai, Zhou helped the suspect from Hong Kong (her boyfriend) arrange the false permit and bogus NAT certificate in the mainland and sent both documents to the illegal immigrant. Wang told the police that in order to earn some money he provided his personal information to the Hong Kong suspect and another two overstayers so that they could obtain forged permits.
At the time of the press conference, the police were still looking for other suspects including the gang’s kingpin.
The quartet have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) for further investigation. While the illegal immigrant surnamed Yuan faces document forgery and violation of preventive health measure charges, the Hong Kong suspects surnamed Yuan and Wang face charges of document forgery and assisting and abetting illegal immigration. The female suspect surnamed Zhou faces a document forgery charge.
Lai did not say whether the two Yuans are related.
This undated handout photo provided by the Public Security Police (PSP) on Monday shows PSP officers escorting the suspects to the Public Prosecution Office (MP).
