Macau eyes mainland help to fight illicit money changing

Sep 18, 2023 Newsdesk Latest News, Macau, Top of the deck  

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Macau’s security forces hope for “strengthening cooperation” with their counterparts on the Chinese mainland, and greater “exchanges of intelligence” to tackle what they term “the roots” of “illicit money-exchange gangs” active in the city, says Macau’s Secretary for Security, Wong Sio Chak.

The comments were in a Friday press release issued by Mr Wong’s office, following a Thursday meeting in Macau (pictured) between city officials and a delegation from China’s Ministry of Public Security.

The update said Mr Wong briefed China vice minister of public security, Chen Siyuan, on local police efforts in fighting Internet and telecommunications scams, as well as the “illicit money exchange gangs” known to be active in “casinos’ surroundings”.

The latter are said to be people doing unauthorised currency swaps either on gaming floors, or near to the city’s casinos. Bets at Macau casinos are mainly denominated in Hong Kong dollars, but many of the venues’ customers are from mainland China, which imposes controls on the amount of China’s currency, the yuan, that can be brought across the border, per trip.

Such unauthorised trading activities had been linked to crimes, including “murders, money laundering, scams, robberies and thefts”, and thus had been a “prominent” security issue in Macau in recent years, Mr Wong was said to have mentioned at the meeting.

The release also cited vice minister Mr Chen saying mainland authorities would, “as always”, support the Macau police in enforcing all efforts against criminal activities.

The criminalisation of unauthorised money-changing is an option being considered by the Macau government, Mr Wong had mentioned at a media briefing held earlier this month.

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