A criminal case involving casino security guards has emerged in Macau after it was revealed that the guards of a Cotai casino, in collusion with five others, collected “protection money” from individuals found to have committed gambling crimes in return for not reporting them to the authorities.
The case came to light after the Macau Judiciary Police received a tip-off and subsequently located seven individuals who said they would testify in relation to the payment of protection money to the accused.
The investigation revealed that the ringleader was a casino security manager, with the other members including a security supervisor, six employees from the casino’s security department and five “middlemen” who were not casino employees.
According to the case details, the nine casino employees, acting through intermediaries, collected protection money from individuals involved in gambling-related crimes, using extortion and intimidation to obtain illicit gains. It is estimated that there were no fewer than 30 victims and the ring’s illicit proceeds over the past year amounted to no less than HK$1.4 million.
The Judiciary Police stated that the security personnel involved would intensify checks on the relevant offenders, threatening to initiate the expulsion procedure – commonly known as “packing” – and then, depending on the severity of the case, demand fees ranging from HK$5,000 to HK$40,000. The suspects would also persuade the victims not to pursue the matter and refrain from reporting the case to the Judiciary Police before allowing the offenders involved to leave.
On 28 July of this month, the Judiciary Police carried out separate arrest operations at a casino and a residential unit in Cotai, detaining 14 male and female suspects.
The Judiciary Police pointed out that the arrested individuals were employed in the security management units of the casino and should have fully cooperated with law enforcement and fulfilled their duties to maintain safety and order on the premises. However, the suspects are alleged to have breached their professional ethics, abused their authority, extorted large sums of money, accepted illicit gains and shielded illegal and criminal activities.
Authorities said the nature of these offenses was “extremely grave” and has seriously damaged Macau’s image as a tourist destination and the public order of its casinos.
