The Judiciary Police (PJ) has caught an unemployed South Korean gambler for threatening the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) that he would go on a killing spree if the office did not give him a flight ticket to South Korea after losing all his money in local casinos.
A PJ spokesperson said in a special press conference Tuesday that the 43-year-old suspect, surnamed Kang, was arrested on Monday.
According to the spokesperson quoted by The Macau Post Daily, Kang arrived in Macau in September with HK$500,000. After gambling all the money away, Kang sent two emails to the office from an Internet bar in Taipa between late September and early October, requesting a flight ticket back home, or at least assistance in finding temporary employment so that he could earn enough money to buy his own plane ticket.
The spokesperson said Kang had been wandering around casinos and sleeping in the airport since he lost all his money. Shortly after the office replied to Kang and suggested he seek help from other government bureaus, he threatened the office by stating in another email sent last Wednesday that he would go on in a killing spree in Macau, claiming he had already purchased several knives to carry out the threat.
The office notified the police about Kang’s threat. After identifying him and locating his whereabouts, Kang was grabbed by PJ officers at the airport on Monday as he was about to leave Macau.
The spokesperson said that Kang was co-operative throughout the investigation and officers believe he contacted one of his friends who sent him money to buy a ticket. The suspect also told police that he had no job in South Korea. No knives were found on him at the time of his arrest.
The spokesperson added that Kang will be sent to the Public Prosecution Office (MP) to face a possible charge of making threats, facing a prison term of up to five years.
South Koreans are granted a visa-free stay of 90 days in Macau.(macaunews)
