PJ: Gaming industry slump raises security concerns

Judiciary Police (PJ) director Chau Wai Kuong said that in 2014 the bureau opened files on 10,737 cases, a 4.5 per cent increase on 2013 when there were 10,272 cases. He was speaking during the annual briefing that took place yesterday at Judiciary Police headquarters at Avenida da Amizade.
The PJ head also said that the bureau had closed 12,238 cases last year, 2,506 more than in 2013, with more than 2,627 suspects handed to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, some 208 more than the previous year. Mr.
Chau said that the phenomenon indicated that criminal activities here have become more rampant and complicated with the development of society.
With regard to gaming-related crimes, which the authorities describe as occurring on casino premises, some 3,023 came to their attention in 2014. The number was 2,599 and 2,070 in 2013 and 2012, respectively.
There were 71 cases of illegal detainment related to gambling, an 82 per cent increase over the year before. Loan sharking cases totalled 208, while 16 cases were recorded in 2013.
Police attribute the increasing number of crimes related to gaming to ‘the adjustment period of the gaming industry that has occurred since the second half of last year’ as well as more effort in fighting such crimes by the police and more frequent visits to gaming venues.
Another figure worth noting is the number of fraud incidents, which totalled 505 in 2014, a 54.4 per cent increase over that of 2013. Mr.
Chau said the reasons behind it are primarily the lack of awareness of residents; in addition, the Internet has made such crimes more sophisticated, many of which are cross-border which make them complicated to solve as well.
Internet fraud alone stood at 452 cases last year, increasing 33.7 per cent compared to a year earlier. In addition to online patrols and enhancing people’s awareness of such kinds of crime, he pledged to bring on board more professionals in that field.
“Internet crime usually involves privacy and are sometimes conducted outside the region which involves the issue of cross-border jurisdiction,” said Mr. Chau. “Collecting evidence of such crimes requires a great deal of professional knowledge in information technology, criminology and so on. We plan to hire more professionals that have expertise in that matter.”
Representatives of the media present at the meeting were also concerned about the increasing number of mainlanders involved in crimes, both as suspects and victims. They urged police to step up efforts as the border between the SAR and the mainland is now open 24 hours. Mr. Chau pledged to study the new trends in crime in order to conduct proper measures.
Judiciary Police also officially launched its Wechat account yesterday whereby residents can access anti-crime information and public notices from the police regarding updates on crime and investigation plus police co-operation with communities.