Macau police have arrested four individuals from Hong Kong and Macau accused of using falsified electronic bank statements to secure multimillion-dollar casino loans from local gaming operators, according to Macao Daily.
Investigators said the suspects fabricated false account balances to convince four gaming concessionaires to issue high value rolling chips, known as "mud chips", for VIP gaming. Two operators approved the loans, together amounting to HK$19m, but later discovered that HK$17.4m worth of chips had been removed from the casinos and never returned.
The Judiciary Police arrested the group on Monday with assistance from casino security staff in Cotai. Those detained include three Hong Kong residents, two men and one woman, and a 36-year-old Macau resident employed as a driver.
The main suspect, a 67-year-old businessman, surnamed Lee, is believed to be the ringleader. All face charges of participating in a criminal syndicate, fraud involving substantial amounts and document forgery.
The statement claimed an account balance of HK$48m, but investigators later confirmed it held only a few tens of thousands.
Lee and his associates allegedly withdrew several batches of chips between October 15 and 24, used small portions for brief gaming sessions and left the tables after minimal wins or losses while carrying away the remainder.
A second casino operator later reported a similar loss of HK$9m, believed to have been obtained using the same forged documents. Police said the suspects refused to disclose where the stolen chips were taken, and that at least one accomplice remains at large.
The case has been transferred to the Public Prosecutions Office for further investigation.
Good to know: According to police, one gaming operator filed a report on October 28, after receiving falsified banking documents to obtain HK$10m in casino credit - presented by one of the suspects
