A man used specially modified shirts to place bets on Macao casinos’ baccarat tables on behalf of illegal gamblers in Mainland China, say police.
Judiciary Police said the suspect, surnamed Zhang, used a host of electronic devices sewn and taped onto his clothing to commit the crime, reported the Chinese-language newspaper Macao Daily News.
Officers confiscated casino chips. They also seized Hong Kong dollar banknotes, a smartwatch, Velcro tape, fabric straps, several items of clothing, electronics cables, and four mobile phones.
“Zhang began offering proxy betting services for baccarat players in mid-May,” a police spokesperson told media representatives.
The arrest comes amid a wider crackdown on casino-related crime in Macao. In recent weeks, police have arrested several individuals suspected of selling fake chips, circulating counterfeit banknotes, and providing illegal currency exchange services at Macao casinos.
Most of the suspects hail from Mainland China, police say. Victims are also predominantly Mainland Chinese, per official reports.
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Police said they apprehended Zheng at a casino table at 10:30 AM on June 29 during a patrol at an unnamed casino in the Central District.
Officers and casino staff said Zheng “behaved differently from other gamblers” at one of the baccarat tables in the casino’s main hall.
Police said they found a mobile phone fixed to the underside of his shirt. They also found small cameras, whose lenses were barely visible through tiny holes in his clothing.
Officers said Zhang used the devices to livestream footage from the gambling table to gamblers in Mainland China.
Police said the gamblers gave him instructions via a miniature Bluetooth earpiece using an unnamed messaging app.
This system let Zhang place bets at their request, police said.
The Chinese gamblers reportedly paid Zhang on an hourly basis, handing him “tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars” in cash to bring to Macao casino tables.
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Zhang reportedly made a full confession, telling officers that his hourly fee was HKD 1,000, or $128. He also reportedly earned small commissions from exchanging gambling chips.
The suspect said he had conducted at least eight illegal gambling sessions in this manner. He confessed to earning over $2,550 in the process.
Police said Zhang had over $5,000 worth of cash and casino chips worth a similar amount in his possession at the time of the arrest.
In Zhang’s hotel room in Cotai, police said they seized three more sets of modified clothing. They also confiscated two mobile phones and special charging cables.
Zhang has been charged with “illegally operating online gambling or online mutual gambling.” Police detained him in custody and handed the case over to the Public Prosecutor’s Office.
Also on June 29, officers said they arrested several men and women at unnamed casinos in the New Port and Cotai districts.
Police seized over $28,000 in cash from the suspects, who held Hong Kong dollars, Macanese pataca, and Chinese yuan.
Officers said the suspects earned thousands of US dollars in profits by exchanging banknotes for Mainland Chinese gamblers.
Some of the suspects had been exchanging money at Macao casinos since at least January, police said.
