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SCMP Reporter

Three men were jailed yesterday for setting up a Chinese University student with a girl online, then holding him against his will for four days in a HK$100,000 gambling scam.
Cheung Yik-man, 20, got to know the girl, named Yumi, when chatting online last October, the District Court was told. One day she asked him to go to Macau with her as she had discounted hotel and ferry tickets.
On arriving in Macau on November 14, a man known as 'Ah Tim' took them to the hotel and persuaded them to take out a hotel membership, offering monthly free ferry tickets and rooms. 
Prosecutor Suzanna Ku Pui-fong  said Ah Tim took them to the hotel casino and told them to play baccarat, providing chips worth HK$14,000. 
Between games, Ah Tim claimed that it had not been possible to fax the membership form back to the branch office in Hong Kong, so they would have to return to fill out the forms in Hong Kong. 
After returning on the ferry, three men escorted Mr Cheung from the pier and demanded details about his parents as he owed them HK$100,000 in gambling debts. 
Over the next three days he was escorted to three internet bars and videogame arcades in Kwun Tong, where he was told his parents had transferred HK$30,000 to the men. 
While he was being held, Mr Cheung was told he would be taken to the mainland and his organs sold if he failed to repay all the money. He was finally rescued while police were carrying out a routine check on an internet bar.
Deputy Judge Johnny Chan Jong-herng said it was a premeditated scam in which the four had carefully targeted a victim and set out to squeeze him for money. He said a deterrent sentence was necessary to reflect public disgust at such offences. 
Yip Hon-ming, 20, pleaded guilty to two counts of false imprisonment, a count of theft and one of blackmail. He was jailed for three years and eight months.
Leung Yu-hin, also 20, was jailed for 31/2 years after admitting two counts of false imprisonment and a count of blackmail.
Fu Chuen-lai, 19, received the same jail term as Leung after admitting the same charges.
Fung Chi-hang, 19, was sent to a training centre. He reversed his  not-guilty plea to a charge of false imprisonment.



Trio jailed for blackmailing student in Macau gaming scam