Xi advises Chinese not gamble in Singapore

Chinese man fakes kidnapping to get out of Singapore gambling debt

Shweta Sharma - 11 March 2024·
sg.news.yahoo.com/chinese-man-fakes-kidnapping-singapore-125004113.html

A Chinese man has been charged in Singapore for allegedly faking his own kidnapping to free himself of gambling debt.

Liu Changjian, 33, staged his own kidnapping and tried to extort a ransom of 30,000 yuan (£3,251) from his aunt Madam Liu Ya Bo in China. He entered Singapore on a tourist visa on 1 March and was to leave the country on 6 March, but did not leave, police said.

An investigation revealed that Mr Liu had piled on a gambling debt of between S$20,000 (£11,709) and S$30,000 (£17,563) during his stay in the city-state.

In a press release, Singapore police said Mr Liu sent messages to his aunt last week and pretended to be his own kidnapper. He visited the Marina Bay Sands Casino on 7 and 8 March when he put his plan in motion, according to court documents.

His aunt, who was in China, received a WeChat text message from an unknown person demanding a ransom for the release of Mr Liu, forwarding identification documents. “In the text messages, the unknown person forwarded the photo of the man’s travel document as proof,” said the police.

The woman alerted Mr Liu’s father, who was also in China. The father called the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to seek help on 9 March.

An investigation was launched and police conducted “extensive searches and investigations” to find Mr Liu, the police said.

Mr Lui was found “safe and sound” in the Marina Bay area just three hours after they were alerted by his father. He pleaded not guilty as he appeared in court via video-link while on remand.

Mr Lui was charged with attempted cheating and faced up to 10 years in jail or fine if convicted.

Anytime you have to say you're consistent, you're probably not, or you wouldn't explain it. I wonder if LVS' MBS will soon be responsible for enforcing Xi's Maoist directives in Singapore and how that might play out in Macau.

And now this...

China consistent on cross-border gambling stance: ministry

Mar 19, 2024 - Newsdesk
www.ggrasia.com/china-consistent-on-cross-border-gambling-stance-ministry/
 
China consistent on cross-border gambling stance: ministry

China’s “position on cross-border gambling is consistent and clear,” said Lin Jian (pictured), a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson, during a regular media briefing in Beijing on Monday.

Mr Lin was responding to a question from a journalist regarding a message the same day from China’s embassy in Singapore, warning Chinese citizens to “stay away from gambling” while in that city state, which has a casino industry legally sanctioned by the latter nation.

The Chinese-language message from the embassy translated as: “Even if a casino establishment is set up legally outside the country’s [mainland China's] borders, citizens may allegedly come to violate our country’s laws over [involvement in] cross-border gambling, especially [via] participation in organising gambling… that can result in [such citizens] being held legally liable for their acts.”

As per the China foreign ministry’s official English-language transcript of Monday’s briefing, a media representative had asked “what stipulates Chinese citizens breaking domestic laws on gambling when they are in another country?”.

Mr Lin stated: “China’s position on cross-border gambling is consistent and clear.”

He added: “China allows no Chinese capital to be invested in overseas casinos, allows no Chinese nationals to engage in operating overseas casinos, and allows no overseas casinos to entice Chinese nationals into gambling.”

He further noted: “China is willing to continue advancing cooperation with relevant parties, step up the fight against cross-border crimes, and safeguard regional social stability and order, and people’s life and property.”

The ministry official added: “On your specific question, I’d refer you to relevant legal provisions or competent authorities.”

China’s amended criminal code outlaws organising mainland Chinese citizens to gamble abroad. It came into effect from March 1, 2021.

Mr Lin mentioned during the Monday briefing session, addressing a separate question, that what China terms the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation countries – China, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Vietnam and Thailand – had “worked together to combat online gambling, telecom fraud and other cross-border crimes, which effectively protected the security of the region”.

It's the world's gold standard of casino-IR's. Brilliant move by SA.