Recently, the Judiciary Police of Macau announced a case of counterfeit casino chip fraud, arresting four mainland men who allegedly used fake chips to swindle about 270,000 Hong Kong dollars from gamblers. Interestingly, although three gamblers were duped, the involved casino did not lose money—it seems the fake chips were detected before they circulated into the casino's hands.
How did the fake chips enter the casino vicinity?
The incident began on January 3rd this year. At that time, a suspect in a casino in Cotai tried to exchange seven chips, each valued at ten thousand Hong Kong dollars, with a male gambler. The gambler sensed something was off, leading to an argument that alerted the casino staff, who then called the police. After the police arrived, they took both individuals for questioning and confirmed that the seven chips were indeed counterfeit.
Interestingly, while handling this case, the police received reports from two other casinos under the same enterprise in Cotai and the New Port, which also discovered fake chips, totaling 18. Following the leads, the police identified two more suspects. Around 10 p.m. that night, the fourth suspect was intercepted trying to leave Macau through the Barrier Gate. Thus, all four were apprehended.
The gang had clear roles, with each member earning at least 20,000 yuan
Further investigation revealed that these four were recruited by a cross-border criminal group in late November last year, and they entered Macau from the mainland through the Barrier Gate on the day of the crime. They admitted that the group instructed them to operate in multiple casinos under the same enterprise, specifically targeting gamblers willing to exchange cash for chips.
The suspects confessed that if the fraud was successful, each could earn at least 20,000 yuan. During this operation, the police seized a total of 128 counterfeit chips, each valued at ten thousand Hong Kong dollars. Upon examination, these fake chips were found to be from the same batch as those discovered in another case in January of the previous year. It must be noted that this counterfeiting technique could deceive many, and gamblers really need to be cautious when exchanging chips.
The case has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office, facing serious charges
Currently, the four suspects have been handed over to the Public Prosecutions Office, facing charges including "participation in a criminal group" and "considerable fraud". The Macau police acted efficiently in this operation, from receiving the report to rounding up the suspects, preventing further circulation of the fake chips in the market. This also serves as a reminder that more information on responsible gambling and fraud prevention can be found on the PASA official website, and it is always wise to safeguard one's financial security.
Ultimately, whether in Macau or elsewhere, gambling inherently carries high risks, and with the tactics of these criminals, ordinary people are even more likely to suffer losses. The swift action by the Macau police also serves as a warning to those contemplating dishonest schemes.
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This article is from "PASA-Global iGaming Leader" gambling industry news channel:https://t.me/pasa_news
Original in-depth gambling channel:https://t.me/gamblingdeep
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