Macau police have arrested four men over a counterfeit casino chip scheme that defrauded gamblers of HK$210,000 ($26,900), the Judiciary Police said on Monday.
Three gamblers were defrauded in the case, while the casinos involved reported no financial losses. The suspects are believed to be part of the same criminal group and were detained after fake chips were found at three casinos operated by the same gaming company in Cotai and NAPE.
Police said the group targeted gamblers near casino premises, offering to exchange counterfeit chips for cash. A total of 128 fake casino chips, each with a face value of HK$10,000 ($1,280), were seized during the operation. Authorities confirmed all the seized chips belonged to the same batch as those uncovered in a similar case in January last year.
The investigation began on January 3rd after one suspect attempted to exchange seven HK$10,000 chips with a male gambler at a Cotai casino. The gambler suspected the chips were fake, triggering an argument that prompted casino staff to intervene and alert police. Officers took both individuals in for questioning.
While handling the case, police received additional reports from two other casinos under the same operator in Cotai and the New Port area, where a combined total of 18 counterfeit chips were discovered. Officers subsequently identified and detained two more suspects linked to the scheme.
Later that night, at around 10 p.m., the fourth suspect was intercepted at the Border Gate checkpoint while attempting to leave Macau.
Further investigation revealed the four suspects were recruited by a criminal syndicate in late November last year and entered Macau from the mainland via the Border Gate on the day of the offense. They admitted they had been instructed to operate at multiple casinos under the same gaming company and to approach gamblers willing to exchange chips for cash. The suspects told police they were promised a minimum payment of RMB20,000 ($2,800) each if the scam succeeded.
The four men have been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office and face charges related to participation in a criminal organization and large-scale fraud.
