Two Chinese nationals – a man in his 30s and a man in his 40s – have been looked at by police in connection with the alleged passing of KRW510 million (about US$365,000) in counterfeit chips at the foreigner-only casino (pictured in a file photo) at the Jeju Dream Tower resort on Jeju Island, South Korea.
An initial Wednesday report in the Jeju News said the older man had been directly questioned by the police on Tuesday. An update said he had been released without charge, but that the younger man had been identified as the possible source of the fake chips.
According to the Jeju News, the younger man – who had been in Jeju – had now left the island, reportedly bound for China.
The Jeju government confirmed to GGRAsia that 102 pieces of suspected fake casino currency were involved, each presented as having a face value of KRW5 million. The Jeju News had initially reported 93 chips of that denomination were involved.
The news outlet stated that staff at the casino cage had detected what they suspected were abnormalities in the materials and engraving used to make the chips, relative to authentic ones.
According to the initial media report, the man in his 40s was a frequent visitor to the venue. The initial report said the man told authorities he had acquired the chips from an acquaintance and was unaware that they might be counterfeit.
Jeju Special Self-Governing Province has had since 2009, certain regulatory powers for its casinos, distinct from those of South Korea’s national government.
Korea Exchange-listed Lotte Tour Development Co Ltd, promoter of Jeju Dream Tower, recorded casino sales of KRW84.54 billion in its first-quarter results.
