Macau police arrested 38 individuals for alleged involvement in unlicensed foreign exchange (FX) for gambling, as of November 15, and starting from when such trade was criminalised as of October 29. It is a newly-created offence under the Law to Combat Crimes of Illegal Gambling.
The arrest figures were given by Sou Sio Keong, deputy director of Macau’s Judiciary Police (PJ), in comments carried on Wednesday by the Chinese-language radio channel of the city’s public broadcaster TDM.
Mr Sou did not give details on those arrested, but said their detention followed his department’s probe into 25 cases involving so-called “money exchange gangs”, known locally as “touts”, that had been for some time active in money-changing for gambling purposes.
Following the opening of the 25 criminal cases, the police had seized a total of HKD3.1 million (US$398,361) in cash, and gaming chips worth in aggregate HKD1.1 million, Mr Sou told TDM.
As well as recently making arrests, the Judiciary Police had on Monday posted officers in several Cotai casino venues to promote public awareness of the criminalisation of unlicensed money changing for gambling. That is according to a Monday statement by the force.
A criminal conviction for such trading can result in a penalty of up to five years’ imprisonment.
Even unlicensed money changing done at a distance from gaming properties can be deemed in breach of the law, if the authorities can prove the traded money was for use in gambling.
