Another three foreigners arrested for casino-related crimes
April 5th, 2010 | 
Author: Written by Our Correspondent
Singapore has seen a spate of casino-related crimes committed mostly by foreigners since the Resorts World Sentosa casino was opened in February this year.
The first crime was committed by an Indonesian who stole the handphone of a Singapore student after losing money at the casino.
A month later, two Chinese nationals were fined $1,500 each for using someone else’s credit at a jackpot machine.
Last Saturday, three foreigners were arrested after being caught cheating at the roulette tables of Resorts World Sentosa’s casino, the Straits Times reports today.
They were a Spaniard and two French between the ages of 46 and 64 who almost made off with $13,400 in winnings.
A police spokesman told the media:
“Police do not tolerate any attempt by criminal elements to cheat and carry out criminal activities in the casinos and thereby affecting the safe gaming environment enjoyed by legitimate gamers.”
Resorts World Sentosa has become embroiled in a series of controversies since its opening.
There were questions raised about the number of Singapore citizens it employed as visitors to its casino revealed that most of them are foreigners.
RWS refused to make public the exact percentage of Singaporeans on its payroll except a vague statement that “70 percent” of its staff are “Singapore citizens and PRs.”
Two weeks ago, RWS’s Universal Studios Singapore theme park’s main attraction has to be shut down indefinitely due to a technical glitch found in the Battlestar Galactica roller-coaster ride during an inspection.
A series of concerts by celebrity singer Tom Jones scheduled at RWS were cancelled in the last-minute due to his purported ill-health.
With Marina Sands casino due to open later this month, RWS will have to contend with a strong competitor in a limited gaming market.
Not that all is going well with Las Vegas Sands either. The parent company was mired in debts and almost had to filed for bankruptcy in the midst of the global financial crisis last year.
One of its “person in charge” of a VIP room in Sands Macau Cheung Chi-tai was implicated in a murder plot.
According to testimony in previously undisclosed court transcripts obtained by Reuters, a witness identified Cheung as a leader of the Wo Hop To — one of the organized crime groups in the region known as triads.
The sensational news made international headlines with Reuters, Washington Post and New York Times carrying the story last week.
The two casinos are a brainchild of Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong whose political fortunes may now hinge on how well the two perform in the coming months ahead.
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Posted in Editorial
-> As expected, the Singapore media maintained a stony silence on the controversy as if nothing has happened.
reported on CNA yesterday evening
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1047838/1/.html
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Think the IRs are LHL’s last throw of the dice. His dad wont be around for too long & if he dies, there will be cracks in the party & to be honest, LHL isnt the sharpest tool in the shed nor is he a leader like his old man.
I reckon the increase in the ministers’ salary is to prevent them from having too many bright ideas that would outshine LHL or vote him out of his position. If I am earning S$2m a year, I would sit in my little corner & not be too bothered with helping the poor or go against my master!
I really hope the IRs would provide better living for my fellow Singaporeans & make life better for everyone. But alas, I think it’s only a wet dream cos whatever money the country makes, the wife/daughter-in-law will loses everything!! Cant Old Man Lee see that Ho is also NOT the sharpest tool in the shed nor she has the belly of Joan d’Ark!! She is really Miss Piggy….. a puppet!!
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For everyone caught, I wondered how many got away.
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I think Changi Prison needs to be expended real soon.
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@Spambox:
Please read the article carefully again.
We are referring to LV Sands’ link with a triad leader in Macau.
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The BT did an article on 3 Apr 2010.
http://74.125.153.132/search?q=cache:xbibLH9588gJ:www.businesstimes.com.sg/mnt/html/btpre/registration/redirect.jsp%3Fdlink%3D/sub/news/story/0,4574,379622,00.html%3F+news+singapore+business+times+sands+triads&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=uk
The BT article states
“When contacted, Singapore’s Casino Regulatory Authority declined to comment if these recent developments in Macau would have any bearing on the casino licence being awarded.
LVS could also not be contacted for a comment.”
The BT aritcle also provides additional information about how even RWS could be associated with the triads.
“US gaming regulators appear to be increasingly wary of US-based casino operators with casinos in Macau.
Last month, details on a five-year investigation by New Jersey regulators into MGM Mirage’s operations in Macau revealed that it found Pansy Ho to be an unsuitable partner for the gaming giant because of her father, Stanley Ho’s alleged links with triads.
In a report, the regulators also cited the junket influence within Mr Ho’s VIP rooms as a prime concern. ‘The VIP rooms in (Stanley Ho’s) casinos provided organised crime the entry into the Macau gaming market that it had previously lacked,’ the report said.
VIP rooms are thought to contribute two-thirds of total gaming revenue in Macau.
Interestingly, Genting Group, which owns Resorts World Sentosa (RWS), operates a VIP room at MGM’s casino in Macau. It also holds a stake in MGM Mirage.
RWS was awarded its casino licence in February.”
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@SpamBox
Your comprehension SUCKS.
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Why more foreigners commit crimes at Singapore casinos?
Simple foreigners dont need to pay the $100 entrance ticket otherwise they also wont be able to afford to go in to commit crime.
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Sooner or later, even the jails will be crowded with foreigners.. Spore govt should be proactive & start now to make programs for foreign jail timers to attend so to better intergrate w local jail timer… I see another tax payer $ being well spend coming up v soon.. now that we keep seeing reports of foreigners caught doing crime in spore. Let’s welcome everyone & anyone that is foreign to spore pls.. Or What will be a better plan.. To give them to a slap on the wrist, pack up and leave or throw them in the jail? Hmmm.. That’s a hard decision to make..
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Could anyone enlighten us as to whether CASINOS cheat and do they do it?
If so,how would we PUNSIH THE CASINOS for CONTINUALLY CHEATING the masses?????!!!!!!$$$$8.8%!!!!8.8%!!!!$$$$$$!?
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how dare the casino catch the ang mohs !!
next time, no ang moh will go to sentosa casino !!
then the casino will close shop!!
Ang Mohs are very important to the casino as customers
you think a group of chinamen gambling in the casino is anything to see ??
ang mohs can be your advertisment !!
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No, its better to make prestige action party head of all triad in both resorts, every dirty cent goes into “GREED is GOOD” glc, island will never lose,every which way the dice rolls.
What a great island, sandwich recipe between casino’s dirty cents.
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@LION ROAR
I did an article regrading the House Advantage of casinos and Singapore Pool. And how these advantage affects us and ultimately causing us to lose. I’m done with the article and will be publishing it soon, just awaiting the right opportunity for it.
Cheers.
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Do not really care about the foreigners or RWS or Sands for that matter. Its basically not for us remember.
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Let’s see how the sentencing is like..
Most probably a fine, and maybe couple of months jail.. No big deal for foreigners.. This will probably encourage other foreigners to try their lucks here (ie doing criminal activities)..
Example, the PRC lady mastermind who runs a contraband cigarette smuggling ring who was caught earlier this year.. She was also previously caught and jailed for a few months for similar offences.. No big deal, try again after the prison term..
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I wonder how many “known” and “unknown” con artists & professionally gambling cheats are making their way to singapore to “test” how much they can make from the “suckers” here.
Logically the casinos in singapore should have safeguards for the above “people”….but it is not the first time we know the PAPAYA gov’t has screwed up basic sensible fundanmental percautions that any tom, dick and harry knows in the real world.
Haiz.
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This is what happens when casinos are open in a country. All the scums of the earth will be attracted here like bees to honey.
What’s more, we have TWO casinos! Expect more crime !
Double Casinos, Double Trouble!
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bring back the triad days, keep our policy makers busy, then they dun hv so much time thinking how to extort more taxes on locals
if not enuf mata, can employ FT, if not enuf FT use technology, robots
juz wondering if today we kena attacked by one of our neighbours, can current Shoot And Forget still defend our motherland, and if the FT will fight for them???clueless policy makers !!!!
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how much police resources are the casinos consuming? they need to pay more tax!
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These are all small-time petty crimes. Wait till the triads come, and come they will when Las Vegas Sands opens.
The toothless Singapore police, who cannot detain/locate Mas Selamat, allow murderer Romanian ambassador to leave, who allowed NKF cheat to flee, who allowed Took Leng How to escape, will not, and cannot protect you.
All the Singapore police knows is to sleep at multi-storey car parks on one of their ‘patrols’, encircle CSJ like vultures, and be obedient, self-important little poodles that they are.
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THe NSP has issued a press release expressing concern about the link between the LV Sands and the triads.
http://www.nsp.sg/press_releases.php?more=142
Concerns on the Casino License for Marina Sands
Tue, Apr 06, 2010
Dear Sir/Madam,
1. The National Solidarity Party notes that there are news reports on Macau Sands’ links to its partner who is implicated in the murder-for-hire case being tried in Hong Kong. According to Business Time April 3 2010 report, “an investigation in Macau has revealed that a local partner of Las Vegas Sands (LVS) could have links with triads”.
2. We also note that Reuters has reported on 31st March that “Nevada’s Gaming Control Board said on Wednesday it was analyzing the status of VIP room operations in Macau casinos and possible links to Chinese criminals”.
3. The PAP government has stated categorically that it will not issue any casino license to any operators that have links to any triads in the world when the decision to build the two casinos was made back in 2005. While the constructions of both casino resorts are due to be completed soon, NSP is very concerned about the social implications of issuing casino license to operators who have links to triads.
4. We notice that the Casino Regulatory Authority (CRA) under the Ministry of Home Affairs has declined comment on this issue when contacted by the Business Time reporter. We strongly feel that CRA should make an appropriate response to the latest development of Sands in view of the pending opening of Marina Sands at the end of this month.
5. We hope that the CRA would take the recent development into careful considerations when it decides upon the issuing of Casino License to Marina Sands. We would also like to know the contingency plans that the government has in place to deal with casino operators who are found to breach the rules on having links to any triads after casino licenses have been issued.
Goh Meng Seng
Secretary General
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