The Secretary for Security, Mr Wong Sio Chak, stated that Macao’s overall public security situation is stable and remains so. Incidence of violent crime in the city continues generally to be low, and crime prevention and control strategies are in place.

Secretary Wong made the remarks at a press briefing on Thursday (28 November) to announce the crime figures and enforcement statistics recorded between January and September this year.

In the first nine months of 2024, the police had recorded a total of 10,831 crime cases, a 12.2-percent increase (or 1,178 more) than in the same period of 2023; and a 2.2-percent rise (or 233 more) than the corresponding period of 2019.

Cases of violent crime, drug crime, and gambling-related crime, as well as theft and robbery, remained significantly lower than in the same period of 2019.

The aggregate number of telephone fraud cases in the first three quarters of 2024 reached 240, a decrease of 33 incidents compared to the prior-year period, but an increase of 157 cases compared to the same period of 2019. Among them, cases involving the “impersonation of government officials” accounted for more than 70 percent of the total, remaining the most common method used in telephone fraud cases.

A total of 721 Internet fraud cases was reported in the nine months to 30 September, an increase of 122 cases and 493 cases compared to the same period in 2023 and 2019, respectively. The main methods included online investment fraud (“pig-butchering” scams), ticket sales fraud, and online shopping fraud.

In the first nine months of 2024, an aggregate of 581 computer fraud cases was reported, with 509 involving online use of a credit card. The police recorded a total of 54 cases related to “online sextortion”, higher than in the same period of 2019, but down by 41 cases, a 43.2-percent decrease compared to the same period of 2023.

Secretary Wong stated that the security authorities would continue to deepen the existing crime prevention and control measures, in order to curb fraud-related crime.

During the press briefing, Mr Wong also shared details of a police assessment regarding the likely impact of Macao’s gaming industry on Macao’s public security situation.  In the first three quarters of this year, the total number of gaming-related crime cases recorded, stood at 1,021: an increase of 305 cases, or 42.6 percent, compared to the same period last year. But the aggregate number for the first nine months this year was down by 578 cases, a 36.1-percent decline, compared to the same period of 2019.

Mr Wong observed that the number of visitors to Macao in the first three quarters of 2024 had increased compared to the prior-year period. This had helped the recovery of the city’s gaming industry and the overall economy, but inevitably brought additional uncertain factors in terms of the security of society. This had resulted in gaming-related crimes increasing in year-on-year terms.

The Secretary also pointed out that there would be a number of activities to mark the 25th anniversary of Macao’s return to the motherland. The security authorities have been implementing various measures to ensure the smooth conduct of large events and celebrations. They included a large-scale, joint anti-terrorism exercise, codenamed “Spiral Dragon”.

The security authorities expected the number of visitors to Macao to increase during the Christmas season. The security authorities would monitor closely any change in the trend of criminal activity, keep assessing various security risks, and make timely adjustments to law enforcement strategies. Further effort would be made by the police regarding the prevention and combatting of any illegal activities, he added.