Tai Po flat raided over suspected illegal mahjong den
SingTao · 2 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Police in Tai Po raided a residential flat on Kwong Fuk Road at about 6pm on September 1 and broke up a suspected illegal gambling den. A total of 32 people, aged 32 to 91, were arrested, including two men accused of operating the venue and 30 suspected gamblers.
Key Points
- Officers from the Tai Po District special duties team conducted the raid after what SingTao described as an in-depth investigation, entering the Kwong Fuk Road flat at about 6pm on September 1.
- A 40-year-old local man surnamed Cheng and an 86-year-old local man surnamed Lee were arrested on suspicion of operating a gambling establishment, with Lee also suspected of gambling there.
- Another 30 people were arrested for suspected gambling in a gambling establishment: 14 local men, 11 local women, one mainland Chinese man and four mainland Chinese women.
- Those arrested were aged between 32 and 91, making the 91-year-old the oldest among the group taken into custody in the operation.
- Police seized six mahjong tables, nine sets of mahjong gambling equipment, a batch of furniture and HK$2,660 in cash from the unit.
- The two men aged 40 and 86 were each provisionally charged with one count of operating a gambling establishment, while 23 other arrestees were jointly charged with gambling in a gambling establishment.
- The charged suspects are due to appear at Fanling Magistrates' Courts on the morning of September 3, while seven other arrestees were released on bail and must report back to police in mid-September.
Why It Matters
The case is moving quickly into court, with the first appearance scheduled for September 3 and bail reporting set for later in the month. SingTao also noted that under Hong Kong's Gambling Ordinance, operating a gambling establishment carries a maximum penalty of a HK$5 million fine and seven years' imprisonment, while gambling in such a venue carries up to a HK$30,000 fine and nine months in jail