Macau (MNA) – The Judiciary Police (PJ) and the Public Security Police Force (PSP) provided information on several cases that were reported in Macau during the Chinese New Year holiday period, involving theft, harbouring illegal immigrants, loan sharking and fraud.
For a few drops of wine
On February 16 police at 11.45pm the PSP was called to a supermarket in Avenida da Amizade by an employee who stated the supermarket alarm was activated while he was working.
The employee saw a man running and noticing he had stolen something managed to catch him. The man was then revealed to be an unemployed Mongolian national who has attempted to steal a wine bottle valued at MOP39.
The man was accused and sent to the Public Prosecution Office, with the Macau government having recently signed an extradition agreement for convicted felons with Mongolia.
Paying for arguing
On February 17 a Macau resident woman called the police claiming she had been having a conflict with her boyfriend.
The 25-year old man from Mainland China was asked for his identification documents and provided a Safe-Conduct, upon which his girlfriend told police he also had Macau residency card.
The man then admitted both the Safe-Conduct and residence card were fake and that he had bought them for RMB300.
Friends for the occasions
On February 18 authorities caught a Mainland China man accused by another man of loan sharking.
The victim stated in a complaint on January 19 that he had borrowed HK$200,000 from a friend for gambling on Baccarat.
The friend imposed a HK$10,000 fee to be paid in interest, a 25 per cent interest rate if the man gambled on the number 7,8 or 9 and retained the victim’s passport and requested he signed a document confirming the loan.
After losing all the money plus HK$80,000 in interest, the man made a complaint to the police, with the loaner caught by authorities while entering Macau.
The man confessed he had withdrawn the money from a borrowed VIP room card.
Beware of strangers
On February 18, a Mainlander made a complaint to PJ that while at a Cotai resort he was approached by a man and a woman who asked if he wanted to exchange HK Dollars to RMB.
Since banks in Macau were closed that day the victim agreed to the exchange rate and delivered HK$50,000 to be exchanged for RMB41,750.
The woman was said to transfer money to the victim’s account but only RMB6,000 was deposited afterwards, with the couple saying that is the only amount available in their account and that in two hours the rest of the money would be provided.
After two hours with no money having been deposit the victim called the lender who offered more reasons for the delay and becoming uncontactable afterwards.Â
No arrest was announced by authorities.
Costly dinner
On February 19 a man reported a friend had gave him HK$100,000, which he held on is pocket. The same day he went with a friend to a NAPE hotel for dinner, placing the jacket on his chair’s back.
After leaving around 7.30pm he realised the money wasn’t in the jacket, and after talking to security guards he realised that man behind him during the dinner was the likely suspect, and filed a complaint with police.
Fair-weather friends
On February 20 at 9.50pm during a PSP traffic operation on Rua da Gamboa police authorities stopped a taxi with two woman from Mainland China inside.
After requesting for their documents a 40-year old woman was discovered to be an illegal immigrant.
The two woman said they had met recently in a casino planning to go have dinner outside and that they were taking a taxi to the restaurant, with the other Mainlander in the taxi saying she didn’t know her recent acquaintance was an illegal immigrant.
The 30-years old woman was now charged of harbouring an illegal immigrant, a crime that can lead to a two year to eight year prison sentence depending if the suspect has received monetary compensation for the service.
