Macao recorded 10,058 criminal cases between January and September of this year, down 7.1 percent (773 cases) year-on-year. That’s according to the government’s third-quarter crime report presented last Friday by Chan Tsz King, the secretary for security.
At a press conference, Chan said that Macao’s overall crime rate remained stable and manageable, with the number of cases relating to serious violence, stealing, robbery, fraud and computer crimes all experiencing a decline.
The violent crime rate dropped by 11 percent, from 210 cases in the first three quarters of 2024 to 187 cases in 2025. Crime against property plummeted by 11.6 percent year-on-year, while anti-social behaviour and non-classified crimes fell 22 percent and 5.1 percent respectively.
Despite this, some major crime categories saw a surge. For instance, crimes against persons witnessed a jump of 6.1 percent, rising from 1,727 cases in 2024 to 1,833 cases in 2025. Drug-related crimes hit a total of 48 cases, up 37.1 percent (13 cases) year-on-year.
[See more: Investigations into gambling-related crimes are up 134 percent]
Child sexual abuse cases leapt from 15 cases in 2024 to 28 cases in 2025, increasing by 86.7 percent. Chan explained that “Some cases involved situations where the suspects and victims were relatives, which deserves the attention of all sectors of society.”
As well, casino-related crimes grew by 70.1 percent, surging from 716 cases in 2024 to 1,731 cases in 2025. Chan pointed out the substantial jump was mainly a result of last year’s new illegal gambling law that tightens rules on such crimes and enforces harsher punishment for illegal money exchange. Overall, there were 306 illegal currency exchange crimes recorded between January and September, down 188 cases year-on-year.
Meanwhile, telephone scams, which have become commonplace in Macao in recent years, fell by 45 cases to 195 cases. Almost 52 percent of these scams involved criminals impersonating government officials.
According to Chan, 11 Macao residents were confirmed to be involved in telecommunication scam operations overseas as of November. Two of the people have since been repatriated to the SAR from Cambodia, while the remaining nine individuals have been detained by Taiwanese authorities, including five who are still serving a prison sentence.
