Hong Kong police deploy drones for first time to tackle illicit street gambling
Eight suspects arrested after drones used to patrol and identify various street gambling spots, police say
Hong Kong police have deployed drones for the first time to combat illegal street gambling operations, arresting eight suspects over the past two weeks.
The eight suspects – seven men and a woman, aged between 53 and 76 – were arrested in Chung On Estate, police said on Sunday. Officers seized HK$420 (US$54) in cash and gambling equipment.
The arrests followed a joint operation, codenamed JusticePeak, conducted between April 5 and 18 by officers from the Sha Tin and Ma On Shan police divisions to crack down on street-level illegal gambling.
“For the first time, drones were deployed to patrol and identify various street gambling black spots in the district,” the force said in a statement on Sunday.
The eight people were each charged with one count of “gambling in any place not being a gambling establishment or in a street”, according to police.
Police said they would continue to strengthen patrols and crack down on illegal gambling activities on the streets.