Mahjong swindler who cheated wealthy punters of 120m yuan in China is jailed for life
Gang went to elaborate means to secretly observe players’ hands and inform ringleader of his next moves
The leader of a gang of fraudsters who cheated five wealthy mahjong players in Southern China out of more than 120 million yuan (HK$143 million) playing mahjong has been jailed for life, local media reported.
In late 2013, Zhang Yongming and four accomplices installed hidden cameras, transmission devices, and sensors in a mahjong room at the Xiangmi Lake Golf Training Centre in the boom city of Shenzhen, next to Hong Kong, the Yangcheng Evening Post reported.
When Zhang played mahjong with others, his partners in another room could view the tiles held by the other players and relayed the information to Zhang, including instructions for his next moves, via a hidden earpiece.
In May, 2014, the five men who played with Zhang suspected he was cheating as they kept losing money to him.
READ MORE: Chinese con men used spy cameras to steal 120 million yuan from rich mahjong players: court
They found the concealed cameras and turned them around, then caught Zhang and his gang red-handed when they entered the room to readjust the cameras.