Police arrest 153 people during raids on 22 illegal gambling dens on Hong Kong Island
- Officers also seized 34 arcade machines, 15 mahjong tables and HK$63,000 in cash, along with gambling chips and illegal drugs
- Seventeen suspects were non-Chinese residents, including domestic helpers, while five were the holders of recognisance forms
A total of 153 people were arrested when police raided and closed down 22 triad-controlled gambling dens that mushroomed amid the Covid-19 pandemic – including one meant for domestic helpers – during a two-week operation on Hong Kong Island, the force has said.
Chief Inspector Tse Tsz-kwan of the Hong Kong Island regional anti-triad squad said that the gangs ran these illegal gambling centres to make quick cash.
As mahjong parlours and game centres were closed in the wake of social-distancing regulations to combat the pandemic, he said: “These triads set up such illegal gambling dens to absorb customers and earn quick money.”
The underground casinos were being operated from old residential blocks and commercial and industrial buildings, as well as a garage.
Seventeen of the 22 venues offered arcade machines running fishing games that were used for betting, while the other five provided mahjong games.
