The Macau Judiciary Police (PJ) handed over 42 money exchangers to Chinese authorities after they were detained during a special operation on Wednesday.
Throughout the day, PJ officers conducted raids at several hotels and residential units in Macau and Cotai, detaining dozens of individuals, including key members of the syndicate. The operation was coordinated by the Ministry of Public Security, targeting an illicit money exchange syndicate.
At 7am on Wednesday, the Ministry of Public Security’s task force, along with police forces from 15 provinces and cities, coordinated with the Macau PJ for simultaneous arrests.
A total of 100 officers from the PJ’s Criminal Investigation Division were deployed across several hotels on the Macau Peninsula and Taipa, as well as two residential units, resulting in the detention of 42 suspects. These individuals, aged between 27 and 63, included 29 men and 13 women, all from mainland China, representing 10 different provinces or cities.
Upon verifying the suspects’ identities, the PJ discovered that two of the individuals were non-resident workers. It is suspected that while employed in Macau, they assisted or participated in illegal money exchange activities. One of the detainees had overstayed in Macau by nine months.
During the operation, authorities seized approximately HK$3 million ($386,100) in cash, HK$160,000 ($20,590) in gaming chips, and 56 mobile phones.
New law expected to strengthen the crackdown
On October 16th, the Macau Legislative Assembly passed the detailed provisions of the “Law to Combat Gambling Crime,” which officially criminalized money exchanges for gambling purposes. Offenders could face up to five years in prison.
Following the handover, Deputy Director of PJ, Sou Sio Keong stated that once the new law comes into effect, the police will have a stronger legal basis to combat illegal money exchange activities.
Depending on whether these activities involve cross-border crimes, authorities may continue collaborating with mainland law enforcement to handle such cases. He emphasized that the situation will be assessed based on the crime landscape after the law is enforced. The PJ will also enhance intelligence-sharing with mainland Chinese authorities through technological means, making it harder for criminals to evade justice in both regions.
