Macau’s chief prosecutor and deputy top judge have pledged to combat casino crimes, which they said had begun to re-emerge post-Covid amidst a broader spike in crimes not previously seen.
Thursday marked the beginning of the 2024/2025 judicial year, with a ceremony attended by the city’s judiciary members, including lawyers.
Prosecutor General Ip Son Sang emphasised in his speech a significant increase in criminal cases filed in the last judicial year, stating that the number had reached a ‘historical high.’
‘Our analysis of relevant data shows that some common crimes, such as fraud and theft, saw significant increases, directly contributing to the overall rise in cases,’ he told ceremony attendees.
Fraud cases totaled 2,979 in that judicial year, indicating a year-on-year growth that exceeded 50 per cent for the second consecutive year.
This caseload figure also represented nearly one-fifth of the total criminal cases, placing such offences in the ‘top position’ for the third consecutive year.
Regarding gaming, figures from the prosecutors’ office showed that offenses associated with illicit gaming, unauthorised identity document obtainment, and illegal detention had increased two to three times.
Ip also mentioned a ‘relatively larger’ increase in currency touts.
However, he noted that ‘the number of cases appeared to be fewer compared to the pre-Covid 2018/2019 judicial year’.
Song Man Lei, speaking on behalf of the city’s highest court at the ceremony, echoed the chief prosecutor’s words, stating that crimes related to casinos had been on the rise.
‘Although the number of cases involving illegal gambling and related document requests or receipts still fell short of the sustained high levels before the pandemic, such cases have been increasing since the second quarter of 2023,’ she said.
The judge also justified Macau’s combined efforts with mainland China to crack down on money touting and underground banking.
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