A casino dealer was arrested on Friday for stealing a gambling chip worth HK$10,000 from the roulette table and hiding it in his underpants while on duty, Judiciary Police (PJ) Ho Chan Nam said at a regular press conference on Monday.
The 33-year-old local male suspect is surnamed Kuok. He started working for the casino in June last year.
According to Ho, a casino in Cotai reported to the police on Friday that a staff member surnamed Kuok had stolen a HK$10,000-chip when he was on duty on November 11. The casino management told the police that the surveillance department discovered that after Kuok had stolen the chip he hid it at the back of his waist in his underpants. However, the chip fell out of his clothing onto the floor during shift change when he was walking away from the roulette table. While Kuok realised that the chip had dropped to the floor, he pretended that nothing had happened and continued walking and then left the casino.
A casino staff found the stolen chip on the floor and informed the surveillance department which confirmed Kuok as the suspect.
The casino management told the police that Kuok had been on furlough and should have returned to work on Friday but went on sick leave instead. That’s why the casino management reported the case to the police without asking him about it first, according to Ho.
Ho said PJ officers arrested Kuok at his home in Fai Chi Kei district on the same day. Kuok admitted to committing the crime, citing financial problems.
According to Ho, Kuok was transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office (MP) on Friday, facing an embezzlement charge punishable by up to eight years behind bars, based on his situation as the employee of a public concession company, according to articles 336 and 340 of the Macao Penal Code.
(The Macau Post Daily/Macao News)
Photo by Macau Photo Agency
