Macau police bust WeChat gambling racket
In this article (4)
Macau’s Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested seven mainlanders for their alleged involvement in an illegal WeChat gambling operation on April 12, a PJ spokesperson said during a special press conference last week.
According to the spokesperson, the seven male suspects, aged between 28 and 40, from Zhejiang province solicited gamblers to place bets at local casinos’ VIP tables via WeChat.
One of the suspects claimed to be a bricklayer while the remainder claimed to be unemployed.
The spokesperson said the gang had been streaming live gambling from local VIP rooms via the app, adding the police estimated that the racket attracted at least HK$10 million in bets and made a profit of about HK$1.2 million.
According to the spokesperson, the gang mainly solicited customers from Zhejiang province who paid the gang via bank transfers or Alipay. The spokesperson said police believed that the gang had been “in business” for at least a month.
The spokesperson said the gang operated out of a suspected illegal inn in Nam Van. The Judiciary Police discovered the illegal gambling activity while investigating the illegal inn.
The spokesperson said the suspects were facing possible arraignments on illegal gambling charges.
Several gang members were still at large, the spokesperson said on Thursday.
Questions & Answers
Q.What methods did the gambling gang use to solicit customers and accept payments?
What methods did the gambling gang use to solicit customers and accept payments?
The gang solicited customers mainly from Zhejiang province to place bets at local casinos’ VIP tables via WeChat. Customers paid the gang through bank transfers or using Alipay.
Q.What is the estimated scale of the illegal gambling operation before it was busted?
What is the estimated scale of the illegal gambling operation before it was busted?
Police estimate the racket attracted at least HK$10 million in bets and generated a profit of about HK$1.2 million. The operation was believed to have been active for at least one month.
Q.How did the Judiciary Police first uncover this illegal WeChat gambling ring?
How did the Judiciary Police first uncover this illegal WeChat gambling ring?
The Judiciary Police discovered the illegal gambling activity during a separate investigation into a suspected illegal inn located in Nam Van, where the gang operated from.