78 arrested in Hong Kong illegal mahjong parlour raids
Police arrested 78 people in connection with illegal gambling and seized more than HK$25,000 in a crackdown on two mahjong parlours in Yuen Long in the early hours of this morning.
Officers from Yuen Long district task force raided two flats in Sau Fu Street and Yuen Long On Ning Road, which had been turned into illegal mahjong parlours, at about 1am.
Police arrested 39 men and 37 women, aged between 21 and 71, at the scene on suspicion of illegal gambling.
Another two men aged 37 and 45 were arrested on suspicion of operating an illegal gambling establishment.
Officers seized HK$11,400 in bets, 16 electronic mahjong tables and 32 sets of mahjong tiles.
Another HK$14,000, alleged to have been paid as commission by the players to the operators, was also seized, according to police.
A police spokesman said the operation was initiated after police received intelligence that the two flats were being used as gambling dens.
Police are investigating whether the two gambling dens were controlled by the same gang.
All the suspects were being held for questioning and none of them had been charged.
