Macau Sting Op Leads to Multiple Arrests for Illegal Money Lending
With tougher money-lending laws in place in Macau, the city continues to crack down on illegal loansharking. A recent joint sting operation between Macau's Judiciary Police (PJ, for its Portuguese acronym) and mainland Chinese authorities has resulted in the arrest of 42 individuals allegedly involved in illegal money-lending and exchange activities.
A Macau Judicial Police police car on the street. (Source: Flickr)
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The operation, which involved coordination across the jurisdictions, aimed to dismantle criminal money exchange networks targeting visitors to Macau's casinos and hotels. The PJ reported seizing approximately HKD3 million (US$386,100) in cash, HKD160,000 (US$20,592) in casino chips, and 56 mobile phones. All suspects were later transferred to mainland law enforcement officials for further investigation and processing.
Related: Macau and HK Police Dismantle Cross-Border Loan Shark RingThe crackdown took place in Macau's Cotai area on October 23, where PJ officers executed a series of coordinated raids on hotels and residences. Deploying 100 officers to the operation, PJ police targeted locations suspected of being hubs for illegal currency exchange activities.
The arrested individuals were reportedly involved in illicit exchanges linked to money-lending services tailored to casino visitors. Many of the suspects came from various provinces across mainland China, including Jiangxi, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Shandong, Beijing, and Jilin.
Following the arrests, Macau's PJ worked with mainland authorities to transfer the suspects to the Border Gate, where they were handed over to public security officials from mainland China. The cooperation between Macau and mainland China's law enforcement agencies demonstrates an increased focus on combating financial crimes in the region.
Macau's authorities indicated that they plan to continue prioritizing enforcement against illegal money-lending and money-changing activities, particularly within the city's tourist districts. By stepping up routine patrols and coordinating closely with mainland authorities, the PJ aims to reinforce security and mitigate the impact of organized financial crime on Macau's hospitality and casino industries.
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Getting Tougher on Crime
The crackdown aligns with Macau's recent legislative efforts to tighten regulations around illegal gaming and money lending. The Macau Legislative Assembly recently approved the new "Illegal Gaming Law," which criminalizes unauthorized money-changing activities related to gaming. Under this law, individuals found guilty of illegal money-lending or currency exchange within the context of gaming face penalties of up to five years in prison.
Although the law has passed the final legislative vote, it will officially come into effect only after a formal announcement. When it does, the PJ will have enhanced authority to pursue and prosecute those involved in money exchange schemes tied to the gaming industry.
With the new law's imminent implementation, Macau's police force indicated that its efforts to dismantle money-lending networks will gain further legal support. This enhanced mandate will allow law enforcement to pursue such cases more aggressively, potentially resulting in more arrests and transfers of suspects to mainland China.
PJ officials emphasized that with the law's passage, authorities in Macau and mainland China will gain greater enforcement power to disrupt cross-border financial crime networks. These networks often exploit Macau's casinos as access points for illicit funds, facilitating illegal loans and currency exchanges for casino patrons from China and other regions.
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