Hong Kong police arrest 79 in raids on gambling dens, unlicensed pub
- Officers seize HK$285,000 in 2 illegal baccarat dens in Sai Ying Pun and Kwun Tong, and HK$100,000 worth of liquor, televisions and hi-fi equipment in Yuen Long pub
- All 79 suspects have also been slapped with HK$5,000 fines for violating social-distancing rules
In one raid on a Ko Shing Street flat in Sai Ying Pun, officers found a baccarat table and two large televisions used to play online card games, seizing HK$215,000 (US$27,697) in cash, HK$410,000 in chips and five account books.
Sixteen men and six women, aged 31 to 74, were inside the premises when officers from the Western special duty squad moved in at 10pm on Tuesday.
One of them – a 45-year-old man – was arrested on suspicion of operating a gambling establishment, while the others were detained for unlawful gambling.
Police said they would step up patrols across the district.
About an hour earlier, 21 people suspected of playing baccarat were arrested when police swooped in on another gambling den operating in a Hung To Road flat in Kwun Tong. Police seized gambling paraphernalia and HK$70,000 in cash during the operation.
