Hong Kong police arrest 22 in raid on gambling den, issue HK$110,000 in social-distancing fines
- The six men and 16 women were found in a unit of an industrial building in Tsuen Wan that was being used as a mahjong parlour
- They were fined HK$5,000 each for violating social-distancing rules forbidding gatherings of more than two people
Hong Kong police arrested 22 people for gambling offences and issued them fines totalling HK$110,000 (US$14,000) for breaching social-distancing rules in a raid on an illegal mahjong parlour on Thursday night.
The six men and 16 women, aged 30 to 64, were found in a unit of an industrial building on Wang Lung Street in Tsuen Wan that was being used as the gambling den, according to the force.
One of the suspects was a mainland Chinese woman who held a two-way permit – a travel document used to enter Hong Kong.
Officers from the Tsuen Wan special duty squad moved in on the gambling den at around 8.30pm on Thursday. Inside, they seized eight automatic mahjong tables and other gambling paraphernalia, along with some cash.
Police arrested one of the women – a 66-year-old – on suspicion of operating a gambling establishment, while the others were detained for alleged unlawful gambling.
In Hong Kong, gambling in an illegal establishment carries a maximum penalty of nine months in jail and a HK$30,000 fine. Operating a gambling establishment carries a maximum penalty of seven years in jail and a HK$5 million fine.
According to the force, all 22 suspects were fined HK$5,000 each for violating social-distancing rules banning gatherings of more than two people.
Police appealed to the public to comply with social-distancing regulations and minimise the risk of Covid-19 spreading in the community.