Macau Police Dismantle Cotai Casino Protection Racket, 14 Arrested

Macau's Judiciary Police have taken down an alleged protection scheme that was running out of a Cotai casino, with 14 suspects now in custody. The arrests followed an investigation into claims that the group used threats and intimidation to squeeze money from gamblers as well as from individuals suspected of criminal activity.

The operation allegedly ran for at least a year and generated no less than HK$1.4m from victims, according to investigators. Those detained include two casino security managers, one security supervisor, six security department workers, and five intermediaries. Ten of the suspects are men and four are women, with 12 of the 14 being Macau residents.

Police say the ring was directed by a 66-year-old security manager surnamed Pang. Security staff are accused of singling out targets and coercing them into payments, while intermediaries managed communications, negotiated amounts, and physically collected the cash. Investigators noted that the group initially made direct contact with suspects in theft, fraud, and other gambling-related cases, but later shifted to using intermediaries to avoid detection, receiving photos and identifying details from security personnel.

Victims were typically asked to pay around MOP10,000 (US$1,238) to avoid further consequences, with some also facing additional "case-handling fees" ranging from MOP5,000 to MOP40,000. During coordinated raids on the casino and multiple residential locations, authorities seized 24 mobile phones, more than HK$200,000 in cash, and assets valued at roughly HK$130,000.

The investigation is still ongoing. Authorities have so far identified seven mainland Chinese nationals as witnesses and believe the total number of victims could exceed 30 as the inquiry progresses.