7 arrested over counterfeit chips at Macau casino
Police seized 128 counterfeit casino chips each valued at HK$10,000 (US$1,286).
Macau.- Police have arrested seven people aged between 24 and 41 for alleged involvement in a fake chip scam that had resulted in losses exceeding HK$1.2m (US$154,320) for gamblers and currency exchange operators since July. Officers seized 128 fake casino chips each valued at HK$10,000 (US$1,286).
At least 17 victims (16 men and one woman, all non-residents of Macau), including five currency exchange providers, were targeted. More than ten other suspects, including the alleged ringleader, are still at large. Those arrested face charges such as organised crime, large-scale fraud and gambling-related deception. Their cases have been forwarded to the Public Prosecutions Office.
New legislation on gambling crimes entered into force last October. It bans the operation, promotion, and organisation of online gambling and mutual betting irrespective of the physical location of associated systems and devices within Macau. It also increases penalties for illegal gambling to up to eight years and the maximum duration of pretrial detention to a year.
