Macau Judiciary Police uncovered a cross-border criminal syndicate that utilized counterfeit chips in casinos, leading to the arrest of five suspects from mainland China.
During the investigation, police seized 585 counterfeit chips, each with a denomination of HK$10,000 ($1,280), totaling HK$5.85 million ($750,000) in value.
On Tuesday (April 30th), the police received a report from a casino in the Cotai area regarding a customer exchanging chips for money, which were later discovered to be fake.
Subsequently, the police initiated an investigation and apprehended five mainland men, aged 21 to 28, suspected of aiding criminal organizations by transporting fake chips from mainland China to Macau and using them for gambling in casinos.
Among the more than 580 counterfeit chips seized by the police, over 130 were discovered in toilets and taxi compartments at the border gate, believed to have been abandoned by fugitives during their escape.
A police officer stated that the seized counterfeit chips were highly realistic and difficult to differentiate with the naked eye. It is believed that the criminal group commenced operations in March, utilizing associates to transport counterfeit chips to Macau.
The police are pursuing at least three additional suspects who remain at large in connection with the case, and the investigation is ongoing.
